


Eclipses (Asuka/Rei short fics)

by Wesakechak, Xairathan



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: F/F, Fluff, For the most part, Happy endings though, Mostly from prompts, Shortish fics, bit of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 06:21:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 21,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10656723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wesakechak/pseuds/Wesakechak, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xairathan/pseuds/Xairathan
Summary: Various times in which Asuka and Rei helped each other know a little more about themselves.





	1. Tension

**Author's Note:**

> Asuka gives Rei a massage.

“Second, I must ask you something.” Rei Ayanami looked over at the other pilot who had just entered the locker room. She would usually arrive and depart before Asuka Langley Soryuu arrived, but today was different. Even so, she had a premonition that the topic she was about to broach would not be well received and she could see the annoyance on the Second Child’s face when their eyes met.

“What is it Wondergirl? Need to figure out how to smile or something?” Asuka asked mockingly. She was annoyed that Rei had been waiting for her, and even more annoyed that she had started talking. Of all the people she wanted to spend time with, Rei was near the bottom of that list.  


“No, it is not that. During our last battle my shoulder was injured. Doctor Akagi has recommended that I get a… massage to help loosen the muscle.” Rei began to explain slowly. She rolled her afflicted shoulder, wincing slightly at the tension. 

“What?” Asuka was so surprised that her voice came out flat

“Would you help me with that?” Rei clarified.

“What?” Asuka sputtered again, this time slightly less surprised. She briefly wondered if she had been sucked into the twilight zone. “Why me?” She added. Neither of them were particularly friendly with each other. Asuka had made attempts at friendship initially, but they had been shot down by Rei. Was she turning over a new leaf now? 

“You are the most appropriate person to ask. If you can not do so, it is fine.” Rei explained. Rei was used to pain, and the knot in her shoulder blade was not crippling. She had merely followed the doctor’s request by asking Asuka. 

Asuka’s jaw hung loose for a moment as she processed Rei’s words. Her mind jumped to what she saw as the most likely conclusion. That Rei intended for Asuka to deny her request, and would use that to gain leverage over her some way. She wasn’t about to fall for that, and she grinned.

“Fine, I’ll massage you.” Asuka agreed, “You owe me though. One favour, anything I want. Take off your clothes and get on the bench, stomach down.” Asuka barked, jabbing a finger at Rei. Rei blinked, obviously surprised that Asuka had accepted her offer. A chuckle escaped Asuka’s lips, she waited for Rei to make a hasty excuse to get out of the situation. 

“That is only fair.” Rei was indeed surprised, though rather than surprised because she had expected Asuka to decline her offer, she was surprised because Asuka was cooperative. She had expected more resistance. Perhaps the Second Child wished to patch up their relationship. If so, she was willing. Obediently, she undressed, moving over to the bench at the center of the locker room and laying down on her stomach, resting her chin on her arms. 

Asuka had not been expecting Rei to go ahead with it, but she wasn’t about to back down. Rei was waiting patiently, and Asuka approached her from the side, looking at the alabaster skin. She usually tried to avoid looking at the other pilot when they were changing, but that was out of the question now. It was almost flawless, aside from a few scars that almost perfectly blended in with the skin and so were invisible without close inspection. It did look somewhat pretty. 

“Second?” Rei asked, wondering what the other pilot was doing. Even if she had agreed to Rei’s request, she did not seem happy about it. Rei also knew that Asuka usually would rush through things that made her unhappy. Instead Asuka seemed hesitant.

“Gimme a second, sheesh.” Asuka huffed, shaking her head to focus on the task at hand. She did not find Rei Ayanami pretty, she told herself. Asuka prodded Rei’s shoulder blades with a couple fingers on her right hand. “Where’s this thing you want massaged now?”

“To the left.” Rei reported. Asuka’s hands were smooth and sure, pressing against her flesh and sending tingles up and down her spine.  “Down and to the right.” Asuka prodded again, “Up a bit.” Asuka poked the knotted muscle and Rei involuntarily sucked in a breath. “There.” She groaned.

“Alright then.” Asuka did not try to be gentle with her, instead folding her hands over each other and digging the base of one palm into Rei’s back. Rei flinched at first, but as Asuka rolled her palms around the smaller girl relaxed underneath her touch. There was a tranquil sigh from Rei, a sound that Asuka had not expected to hear from her. It made her pause in her movements, her ears suddenly feeling warm.

Rei frowned, not entirely familiar with the sensation. It had hurt initially, but the pain quickly disappeared, replaced by a soothing feeling that was not unlike a warm bath. It was pleasant, that she was certain of.

Asuka began working on the shoulder muscle yet again, this time with more aggression behind her kneading. There was another groan from Rei and Asuka redoubled her efforts as she felt Rei go limp under her, her head drooping to look at the ground. For her part, Asuka was enjoying the reaction she was producing, or at least amused by it. 

After a minute of kneading, Asuka began to soften the pressure. She heard Rei sigh with every touch. It was almost sensual. For another minute she continued to give lighter and lighter prods, until she was simply dancing her fingers across Rei’s skin. Finally she pulled away, Rei’s shoulders lifting for a moment in an attempt to re-establish contact. 

Rei hummed contently at the work, another sound that Asuka was unaware of existing. Then she flexed her shoulder muscles, giving a short sigh. “That does feel better, thank you.” Rei arched her back, stretching in preparation of getting off of her stomach. The tension from her shoulder had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but a dull ache on her skin where Asuka had applied the most pressure. It was not painful though. 

Before she could sit up though, she felt Asuka’s hand return to her back, pushing her down. “I-I’m not done with you yet.” Asuka told her, hiding the stammer. She had not expected Rei to actually compliment her. Or seem to be enjoying it. So she decided that if Rei wanted a massage she would get the full deal. Rei nodded, relaxing again. She would defer to Asuka’s experience in this matter.

This time she shut her eyes as Asuka began to work. Asuka grabbed both her shoulders to start out, squeezing her hands over them, her fingers digging through tense muscles. Her thumbs moved closer to Rei’s spine, and they began to prod the edge of her shoulder blades. 

It was somewhat surprising just how tense Rei’s body was. Asuka had assumed that Rei was as relaxed as she presented all the time. There were very little fears that she showed, but it was beginning to dawn on Asuka that that didn’t mean they didn’t exist. Instead, it seemed that she was good at lying. 

Her hands began to work their way towards Rei’s neck, her left hand pausing over one of Rei’s scars. The slight ridge started near the base of her neck and continued down and to the left for about fifteen centimetres. Stopping for a second in her massage, she brushed her fingers against it. A shiver ran through Rei at the touch. 

“Where did you get those?” Asuka asked, finding herself giving into her curiosity. There was more to Rei than she had initially suspected. She began to massage the area around the scar with her fingers, making Rei grunt quietly. She opened her eyes, looking over her shoulder at Asuka.

“Before you arrived from Germany. A short time before Ikari-kun showed up as well. There was an accident when activating my unit. I was required to eject in the eva pen. My entry plug bounced around the pen uncontrollably, and my injuries were extensive.” Rei recalled. “I am somewhat surprised that NERV felt it was better to treat my injuries.” Asuka suddenly pressed with more force, making Rei grit her teeth as she inhaled. 

“What could they do instead? Let you bleed out and replace you with some newbie pilot?” Asuka protested, the return of Rei’s familiar rhetoric of her expendability making her feel more agitated. “Don’t answer, I know what you’re going to say.” She snapped a moment later. Rei bobbed her head in a nod and closed her eyes again. If Asuka knew what she was going to say, there was no reason for her to repeat it to her. 

Asuka worked in silence for another few minutes, beginning to make way down Rei’s sides. Occasionally Rei would let out a small sigh or grunt, with a few moans when Asuka hit a spot that required additional attention. 

“Second.” Rei began, only to be cut off by Asuka twisting her knuckles into a particularly tight cluster of muscles under another of her scars.

“Yeah, spit it out.” Asuka insisted, continuing to work on the area with her palm. 

“Why do this?” Rei asked. This was so counter-intuitive to all of the Second Child’s previous interactions that she could not understand why she had agreed.

Asuka found that she didn’t have an answer. She had initially done it out of spite, but now she didn’t know. Instead she continued working without a word, kneading Rei’s back. Rei did not push the question further. 

Eventually Asuka’s hands met at Rei’s tailbone. For one last time she began roughly digging into the muscles, massaging as deep as she could. Rei let the air out of her lungs in a slow groan of pleasure, the dull ache that the massage brought on having spread to her entire back. Asuka pulled away and a smile crossed Rei’s face. She had never felt like she did now, any worries and troubles had vacated her mind along with the kinks in her muscles. Carefully she stood up, stumbling with her first step. Automatically Asuka reached out to catch her before she could fall. There was the unintended consequence of Rei pressing against Asuka in a semblance of a hug.

“That was… helpful. Thank you Soryuu.” Rei muttered into Asuka’s ear. A moment later she felt Asuka push against her shoulders. Asuka’s cheeks were flushed from Rei’s antics, and she turned away when Rei continued to look at her. They did have a sync test they would have to get to, and Rei estimated that they were currently ten minutes late. 

“Yeah, whatever.” Asuka dismissed, before glancing at the clock and realizing the same. She cursed and sprinted back to her side of the locker room. While Rei’s movements were rather slow, as if she had temporarily forgotten how to move, Asuka rushed through the motions of throwing off her clothes and putting on her plugsuit. 

Even so, they reached the door at the same time. Asuka grabbed Rei’s arm and yanked her around so they each met the other’s eyes. “Remember, you owe me.” Asuka reminded Rei, “That’s why I did it.” She said, though it sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Then she dropped Rei arm and walked away in a huff. “And don’t think about dying to get out of it either.” She warned.

“I would not attempt to do so.” Rei responded, following a few steps behind her. 


	2. Hesitance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They both knew how much the other was scared of being touched. Even though they loved each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suzannah the instigator back at it again. With the long overdue prompt of 
> 
> "They know about my past. They know I’m scared of touch, and they’re trying to respect that. I appreciate it, but with them, I just know it would be okay."

As it turned out, the emotional side of their relationship was the easiest for both of them to come to terms with. Both Rei and Asuka wanted to support each other, and they did so quite well. They both wanted to feel loved, and the other made sure that they were. In their own ways, with some misunderstandings between them. Those didn’t matter though, in the end they were simply there for each other. 

Physical intimacy, on the other hand, was proving difficult. They could, and had, held each other tightly and long into the night when either of them had been too emotional to care, and just needed to feel like they weren’t alone in the world. The rest of the time was a far different story. Even after the nights which they held each other they would separate themselves when they woke, neither of them used to lingering contact. 

The problem was twofold. First of all, Asuka was rather averse to instigating anything more than holding hands with Rei, and even then it was rare and flighty, usually over after a few seconds. It was fear that kept her from doing anything more, fear of hurting Rei and herself by going too far or too fast. Fear that even if she had someone to hold her, she would eventually lose that feeling and thus leave her with a bigger hole in her heart. Even though both her and Rei had promised not to abandon each other, and both intended to keep that promise. So, even though they were deeply in love, a casual observer would be hard pressed to notice that they were together. It was something that Asuka wanted to amend. She thought that if perhaps they grew more comfortable with each other physically, they may grow more confident in their emotions. 

Which had led Asuka to her current position, laying on her bed with only a light dress on. Rei sat on a chair beside the bed, brought in from the kitchen. She was similarly dressed to Asuka. Asuka was giving Rei permission to do what she wanted, how she wanted. While she was scared of physical intimacy, she also told herself that it was okay if it was Rei. Asuka knew that Rei would never abandon her. Even if she had doubts about it every day. However letting Rei take the lead was not a solution. That ran into the other part of the problem. Rei had no experience with being physically intimate, and suffered the same fears as Asuka did. The act of touching had never been that important to Rei, she had been neither happy nor sad when someone had touched her shoulder or took her hand. Before, at least. Yet she became more scared of it as she realized that she could find herself without Asuka, and would suffer because of that loss. 

Rei stared at Asuka, her usual inquisitive frown on her face. Asuka turned her head towards Rei, meeting her frown with an encouraging smile. “Take your time,” She said, repeating it for the third time in ten minutes. It was for the benefit of both of them. Even though she shied away from touching, Rei tilted her head down in a slight nod, and then stood up slowly. She walked over to the bed, placing one of her hands on it to steady herself. 

Asuka moved over on the bed to allow Rei to lay down beside her, which she proceeded to do so. First she sat down, then swung her legs onto the sheets, and finally leaned back and rested her head on a pillow beside Asuka’s head. Rei continued to stare at her, her vermillion eyes meeting Asuka’s ultramarines. She inhaled, not wanting to disappoint Asuka. The girl who had screamed, begged, whimpered, asking to be held. Now Rei could do just that, and more if she chose. Asuka splayed out the hand closest to Rei, and waited. As she suspected, Rei began with something she knew. Holding hands. It was easy, simple, known. A way to start and get comfortable.

Rei’s hand met Asuka’s halfway between them, their fingers interlocking gently. Asuka’s skin felt soft and warm on Rei’s palm. She waited for Asuka to flinch, pull her hand away, citing that Rei was doing something wrong. Asuka didn’t though, she merely passively gazed at Rei. Rei did not do anything other than that for half a minute, getting comfortable with the feel of Asuka’s skin. She found herself matching Asuka’s breaths as they continued to lay still. The room was silent aside from the occasional protests from the bed against the added weight, the creak of springs. Asuka gave her hand a slight squeeze, the small bit of feedback a welcome sign for Rei, who took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. 

Rei then continued, moving her hand up Asuka’s arm. She took an immaculate time to trace lines between Asuka’s freckles. There was a shiver in Asuka’s arm, and Rei hesitated for a moment, pulling her hand away. Asuka locked eyes with her, giving a nod of the head to show that she was alright. It was merely her body reacting to the unfamiliar sensation. Somewhat hesitantly Rei returned her hand to where it was before, just above the elbow. She continued her journey until she reached Asuka’s shoulder, where she stopped for a moment. Asuka rolled onto her side, getting slightly closer to Rei in the process. She gave another nod to tell Rei that it was alright for her to continue. 

Now Rei tucked her arm underneath Asuka’s neck, the hand coming to rest on her back. Rei’s other arm moved to wrap around the top of Asuka. Rei could feel Asuka hold her breath for a moment before exhaling it, and realized a moment later that she too was holding in her breath. She released it slowly, relaxing her tense arms as she did. One of Asuka’s arms moved around Rei’s chest, lower than Rei’s was. Asuka pressed her hand to Rei’s back, watching her reaction carefully. It was the closest that they had held each other on their own volition, when neither of them were breaking down and the other reacted without thinking. 

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Asuka catching her breath and Rei becoming comfortable with the sensation of feeling the minute movements from the other girl. Hugging was rather comforting, she noted.   

Then Rei pulled Asuka closer, until their noses practically touched. She entangled her legs with Asuka’s, Asuka reciprocating a moment later, and they held each other tightly. Rei could feel Asuka’s pulse quicken ever so slightly. She bit her lip, taking a closer look at Asuka’s face. Even though Asuka was doing a good job at hiding it, Rei knew that she was nervous from her touch. Rei didn’t pull away though, merely keeping her arms still.

And Asuka was nervous. Not as much as she had feared though. It was Rei, and Rei would never do anything to hurt her purposefully. The slow pace that Rei had taken had helped as well, letting Asuka tell herself that it was alright. Alright to feel happy when Rei held her. She took Rei’s somewhat uncertain expression to mean that she didn’t know what to do, and puckered her lips ever so slightly. Inviting a kiss. Rei leaned in a moment later.

It was a rather chaste kiss. Their lips meeting each other and separating a moment later. Rei’s lips tingled from it though. She had kissed Asuka once, or more accurately Asuka had kissed her. A short time after they had managed to find a word to their feelings for each other. It had been harder, longer, Asuka desperately wanting it. Rei hadn’t. Too shocked, too confused, too overwhelmed, she had pulled away, avoiding Asuka for the next two days until Asuka had apologized, saying that she should have taken it slower. 

Rei held Asuka for another minute, wondering what to do now. A small smile had crossed Asuka’s face after the kiss. Rei gulped, feeling uncertainty well up inside her. She wanted to see Asuka smile more, she wanted to make Asuka smile more. Yet even so, she had no desire to go any further with her, nor any knowledge of how to do so. She imagined how disappointed Asuka would be with her because of that. 

So she pulled away, suddenly and forcefully. Her arms slid out from around Asuka, and she rolled onto her back before sitting up. Asuka reached out, trying to bring her back in, before she stopped herself, knowing that it might make it worse. Rei turned away from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. 

“So, is that all you feel comfortable with?” Asuka asked, rolling onto her side to face Rei’s back. Rei turned her head around to look at Asuka, the fear and disappointment palpable on her face. Asuka sat up on her knees, staring eye-to-eye with Rei. She couldn’t read Asuka’s face, but thought she saw some disappointment on it. Rei turned her gaze away from Asuka, then looked down at her knuckles. Her shoulders tensed, and she felt her heart sink. She was worthless, unable to even hold the girl she loved without being afraid of what would happen.    


“Asuka, I know that’s not what you wanted, but-”

“Idiot! That’s all  _ you _ want, and that's all I need. Even if you don’t want to get all touchy feely, that’s fine with me. I don’t need that because I know you love me!” Asuka declared quickly, cutting her off. Rei stiffened, clenching her fists, only able to tell that Asuka was upset. Then Asuka was sitting beside her, moving to the side of the bed in an instant. She reached out and touched Rei’s hand, running her thumb over Rei’s knuckle, making her hands relax. Rei glanced over at Asuka again, who was smiling, not scowling as she thought she would be. 

Her smile conveyed many things. That Asuka was happy. That Rei was different than other people, and still made her happy in spite of it. Asuka didn’t need to be intimate to know that Rei loved her. The look in Rei’s eye, the smile that only came out when Asuka was around, the way that Rei’s shoulders seemed to shrug off the weight of the world when Asuka was there to support her. All were things that Asuka noticed about Rei that told her that she was making a difference. That Rei loved her and was comfortable around her, and that was more than enough for Asuka. Rei glanced down at where Asuka was covering Rei’s hands, and turned her own hand over, so that their fingers intertwined.

It was small and simple. But it was comforting.   


	3. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei came back because of a single regret and the inkling of a feeling. She finds the person she isn't looking for first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Oh my god. You're in love with her."

Touch was the first sensation that returned to Rei after washing ashore. The feel of the sand she was lying on, the feel of the water washing over her, cutting through her addled brain and giving her something to latch on to. To remind her that she had a body again. She remembered to breathe, finding her lungs filled with liquid. Her chest convulsed as she coughed it out, shakily getting to her knees. She leaned forward, digging her hands into the sand as she hacked and sputtered out the last drops and sucked in air for the first time in a week. Her next breath was full of water as a wave crashed over her. The wave drew back into the ocean, threatening to drag her along with it. 

Yet she had a reason to leave, to return to the world.

With great effort, she dragged her body forward, up the beach. One hand reaching out as far as it could and then digging deep into the wet sand. The noises of the world, blowing wind and tumbling water, returned to her next. The sounds were incredibly loud, but that only reminded her how utterly empty the world now was. Yet if she wasn’t among the souls, she was somewhere in the world.

Eventually she got herself out of the surf, the sand changing from wet clumps to dry particles under her hands. Only then did she crack her eyes open, being greeted by nothing but red. Blood red. LCL red. Her stomach churned, and she began to retch empty air, collapsing back into the sand. She clutched her stomach, rolling over to lay on her back. The land beyond the beach was red, the sea was red, even the sky, where she had always turned to escape the colour, had red bleeding into it. 

None of it was the red she had returned for. Rei had discovered so many secrets when Lilith had begun instrumentality, when she had embraced the collected souls of humanity. Only few of those secrets had been about Rei. And there were even fewer that she had taken interest in. And there was one that had brought her back from the sea of souls.

Eventually she propped herself up on her elbows, twisting her head from side to side. There was a small lean-to, made out of sheet metal, a hundred metres away from her. Rolling onto her knees again, Rei stood up. Her legs shook with just the simple act, and when she took a step forward she lost her balance, falling face first into the sand. She crossed her arms under her head, lifting it out of the sand and plunging her back into darkness. 

The waves called to her.   


She didn’t listen. She gritted her teeth, reminding herself as to why she had returned. To settle the single regret that she had had. Instead she pulled herself back to her knees, and then to her feet. She made it ten steps before she collapsed again. Inside the lean-to, she could see a silhouette sitting in the shade. She got to her feet once again. Getting closer to the makeshift shelter until she collapsed one last time in front of it. She looked at the person who had been watching her, seeing them for the first time.

Shinji Ikari stared back at her, a look of terror on his face.

“Ayanami.” He stated quietly, cowering away from her. “Did you come for me?” His voice sounded hollow and defeated. Rei crawled under the shade of the sheet metal, catching her breath and collecting her thoughts. Eventually she shook her head.

“You are not the one I returned for.” Rei stated bluntly, her voice sounding rough and out of use. Shinji’s shoulders slumped, and she could see the slight shiver in them. Even if he was terrified of her, Rei could tell that he wanted someone to return for him. And she knew that someone would, even if she didn’t understand how she knew that. It was a a mere fact though, as much as one plus one is two or a hydrogen atom had a single electron. 

“What?” Shinji asked, his head sinking into his legs. She could feel the disappointment, the pain, in his voice. 

“The Second. I came back for her.” Rei closed her eyes, thinking about the other pilot. Asuka had been the first to return. Rei had never even had a chance to contact her, bring forth her soul before she had left to live again. Never had a chance to explain, to help her as she wanted to. Now she could.   


“Why?” His voice was quiet, barely heard above the waves. 

“Because, she cared about me. As did I. We never figured that out, and that is something that I regret. There is a purpose for me now, to tell her that I care. To fix that regret. To see if she still does care about me.” She looked away from the ocean, her eyes searching for a different shade of red than that which dominated the world. “I was hoping that she would be near you.”   


“No, we, I… I hurt her. And then we went our separate ways.” Shinji admitted. Rei nodded, half to herself. She did not want to press him for further details. If she was alive that was what mattered. “I don’t think she wants to see anyone.” he grumbled.

“I merely hope to see her again. Regardless of what happens.” She wanted Asuka to know that she cared. Even if it didn’t matter anymore. And if Asuka didn’t want anything to do with her, then she could always return to the ocean. “Though, is it strange that I hope that I will be able to make her smile?” She pondered.

“That’s how I feel about… Oh my god. You’re in love with her.” Rei could hear the surprise in Shinji’s voice at that. Rei frowned, her brow scrunching. Her hands folded under her chin, and she looked back out at the ocean, finding the rolling waves relaxing. At any point of time before today, she would have shrugged, unable to say if what she felt was love. But now she knew what love was. She had seen the feeling in others. It was an apt description for her feelings towards Asuka. 

“Yes, I think I am.” She confirmed. Shinji gave a weak nod, and turned his head towards the ruined buildings that rose further inland. Shinji answered Rei's question before she could ask it.  


“I’m sorry, I don’t know where she went. Just… into the city” He said, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. A determined look crossed Rei’s face and she crawled out of the lean-to before getting to her feet. She looked away from the ocean, forward towards the city. “I’ll stay here for now.” Shinji whispered from the shade. He was still waiting. The hope driving him on. 

“Thank you, Ikari.” Rei departed, starting to walk away from the lean-to towards the crumbled towers of Tokyo-3. Her legs were unsteady, but she did not fall as she had before, even though she occasionally stumbled. There was clear purpose driving her now. She now had two things to tell Asuka once she found her.


	4. Thorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei goes to see Asuka after Arael. She hopes to fix the mistake she made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt. "Please let me help."

Rei walked through the suburbs of Tokyo-3, looking for the class representative’s house. That was where Shinji had predicted Asuka had gone. So that was where she would go. The streets were deserted at this late hour. The moon provided enough light for her to see the street signs, and she knew she was getting close. Her mind began to plan ahead. What was she going to do once she found Asuka? The question was one that only now popped up in her mind. She meant to at least see her, to see how she was doing after the angel had forced itself into her mind. Then… Rei shook her head. There were too many what-ifs that came afterwards. It was better to deal with them when they arrived, and not waste time thinking about what could be. Instead she glanced up at the moon and continued walking. Half an hour later she was walked up the sidewalk to a decent sized two story house.    


She knocked thrice. There were a few murmurs from behind the door, nothing she could pick out clearly though. So she waited ten seconds. She knew that she had the right address, unless Shinji had mistaken one of the numbers. She knocked again, her desire for an answer to her internal conundrum demanding she stay. 

“Go away Shinji!” She heard Asuka yell from inside the house, somewhere on the second floor. So she was in the right location. Rei knocked once more and waited. She debated whether or not to say anything to indicate who it was to them. There was the sound of movement behind the door, and it was opened a second later. Hikari peeked out, the annoyed expression on her face turning to one of surprise at the sight of Rei. 

“May I enter?” Rei asked politely. Hikari nodded, stepping aside. Rei walked past her quickly, almost forgetting to take off her shoes in the foyer before advancing. Asuka’s voice had come from near the front of the upper story, so she climbed the stairs, Hikari following a few steps behind her, her eyes focussed on the ripped pillow in Rei’s hands. 

“Asuka, it isn’t Shinji it’s-” Hikari called as Rei walked into the open door to her room. 

“You bitch.” Asuka swore when she caught sight of Rei, her voice sounded strained, as if she had been yelling for hours. She was sitting in front of the television, the chip-tune music of a videogame tapping out on the screen. She threw down the controller she had been using, springing up and clenching her fists. “You bitch.” She repeated lamely, the only insult she can think of.    


Rei stayed where she was when Asuka had first seen her. A feeling of guilt welling up inside her. It made her freeze, staring dumbly at the other pilot who was standing a few feet away from her. Now she was here, what would she say? What could she say? Asuka did not stay far from her for long, lunging at Rei and drawing back one fist in preparation to punch her. Her other hand grabbed Rei’s collar, making sure that she couldn’t move.

“Asuka!” Hikari protested, her voice cutting through Asuka’s anger and Rei’s indecisiveness. Asuka turned to face her friend, while Rei continued to stare at Asuka, her brow furrowed. “She hasn’t even said anything.” Hikari continued, giving Rei an apologetic smile.    


“Why are you here then?” Asuka snapped, turning back to face Rei. She kept her fist primed for when Rei delivered whatever unsatisfying answer she would come up with. Rei bowed her head slightly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “Spit it out already!” Asuka yelled, almost pulling her off her feet as she yanks on the collar of her shirt. 

“Please, let me help.” She stated quietly. She knew she should have done something to help her when fighting the angel. She could have tried to talk to her, reassure her in some way. She hadn’t. She had followed orders. As was expected. Now she had no orders. And she wanted to amend her mistakes.

“What?” Asuka’s voice faltered, if only for a moment. And then her face hardened and she released Rei’s collar, turning around. “Go. If you want to help then get out of my sight.” She spat, her voice a low growl. Rei nodded without question. It was a response she had expected. She turned, bowing slightly to Hikari before walking back down the stairs. Her shoes were at the door, and she slipped them on. It was late, and her apartment was a long walk away. She didn’t see the tears welling up in Asuka’s eyes, nor hear the slight sound that may have been her asking for Rei not to listen to her and to stay. 


	5. Matrix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendo had wanted to prove to Kyu that she wasn't unique. Asuka knew she was though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Will you stay with me anyway?"

NERV had attacked the Wunder with a relatively large force, which had surprised Asuka. Three automated Nemesi and two Evas, both copies of Unit 06. Yet even then it had still been a one sided fight, with two Evas and the Wunder’s own cannons. It was soon down to just NERV’s Evas, and they were both crippled and at the mercy of Asuka and Mari. A small feeling of uneasiness crept into the back of Asuka’s mind. It had been far too easy. She said as much to Mari, who agreed with her.

Then it became clear why NERV had chosen to attack. Not to take down the Wunder, not even to test WILLE’s defences. Gendo Ikari had attacked to settle a personal vendetta. 

The two pilots of NERV’s Evas had opened communications at that moment, their faces appearing among Asuka’s open video channels. Both of them were Ayanami-types, identical to each other. Blue hair and red eyes, a face that was all too familiar to Asuka. She felt a shiver run up through her spine, unsettled by the mirrored faces. She glanced at the small picture taped to her Eva’s control console, the smiling face of Kyu looking back at her. 

The Ayanamis had a single demand, and adding to Asuka’s uneasiness they spoke in unison. It was a ridiculous demand.  An order from Commander Ikari for the Ayanami-type onboard the Wunder to return to NERV. Misato had actually laughed at that, Asuka hearing the sound through her channel to the bridge. Asuka herself had only gotten pissed at the demand. The only way that Kyu was returning to NERV was over her dead body. She had said as much to the two clones. They had calmly asked her why she cared about something so disposable as an Ayanami-type. And that had only pissed her off even more. Because it wasn’t just an Ayanami-type she cared about. It was Kyu. 

Asuka had destroyed one of the Evas after that, Mari shooting the other one a second later. The inside of Asuka’s plug fell silent for a long moment, and then the bridge had asked them to confirm the target’s destruction. She had done so, growling out the words through a clenched teeth, saying that the Evas were no longer a threat. Then Asuka had swapped channels to the Eva pens. Kyu would be there, she was always listening into the comms during sorties. And she knew that she would have heard what the NERV pilots had said. 

Except Kyu hadn’t answered. It had been Maya instead, her voice sounding somewhat strained and urgent. Maya told her to get back onboard, and Asuka felt her heart leap into her throat. She knew that something had happened. Recovery couldn’t have happened slower for Asuka, who drummed her fingers on her knee as her Eva was picked up and returned to its pen.

Kyu wasn’t there when Asuka exited her entry plug, which only made her more worried. She looked around, spotting Maya across the pen and making a beeline towards her. The maintenance crews for the two Evas parted around her, knowing better than to get in the way of the pilot who seemed to radiate anger. They were still celebrating the successful sortie though, patting each other on the back. Asuka did her best to ignore them. Maya didn’t notice until Asuka was right behind her, and when she turned around the worried expression on her face only deepened.

“What happened.” Asuka barked at her, slamming her palms onto the console that Maya was working at.    


“Kyu was listening in when she heard them demand that she return to NERV. And when they had said they were nothing but disposable clones, she just ran away.” Maya reported. The phone on her station buzzed behind her and she picked it up. Asuka watched her nod and make small sounds to confirm whatever she was hearing. She eventually put the phone down and looked back up at Asuka. “It was Sakura. She says Kyu ran to your room.” she relayed to Asuka. 

Asuka didn’t bother going through the showers after that; she ran off out of the Eva pen making a beeline towards her room. They were close to the pens, a convenience to the pilots who needed to be ready at any moment. Again, people parted before her, knowing better than to get in her way when she was running. She was at the door to her room five minutes later, Sakura pacing in front of it. The medic looked at Asuka and nodded, stepping out of the way and shutting the door behind her.

The room was dark when Asuka entered it, though she could hear the sounds of laboured breathing. “Kyu.” She called quietly into the darkness. The breathing stopped for a second, and then resumed, louder and more rushed than before. Asuka felt a twinge of doubt creep into her mind. She had always been bad with people, and even her relationship with Kyu was plagued by her own fear of messing up. She flicked on the lights, surveying the room and looking for Kyu. She wasn’t lying on the bed, though all the sheets had been pulled off of it. 

Asuka walked further into the room and around the bed, cautiously approaching the lump on the floor that was covered with sheets. “Hey, Kyu.” She whispered to the lump. She squatted down beside it, grabbing the edge of one of the sheets and pulling it up to see the girl underneath it. “What’s wrong?” She asked, trying to sound as open as she could. 

Kyu blinked from the sudden exposure to the light, and upon seeing Asuka shrunk further into the blankets. It was her own private world, where only she could exist. Where she tried to forget about the existence of others. There were no other Ayanami-types, no other people. Until Asuka had intruded at least.    


“Asuka.” Kyu whispered, her voice sounding heavy, almost wet. In the light Asuka could see the tear stains running down her eyes. “Why am I here?” She asked, looking at Asuka, desperate for an answer. “Why me?” 

“You wanted to live.” Asuka stated simply, sitting down in front of Kyu. The clone turned her gaze to the floor underneath them, lowering her head so Asuka couldn’t see her face. Fresh tears were starting to fall, and Asuka reached out to wipe them. Kyu recoiled back, away from her touch. She did shed the blankets off of herself though, which Asuka took as an improvement. 

“But I’m no different than those two that were in those Evas. What makes me different? I could have switched places with either of them, it could have been me in there and one of them here.” She whispered. The various doubts that she lived with, that hung at the back of her mind, sprang forward. She wasn’t unique. She could be replaced. There were dozens, maybe hundreds, of other hers out there. What was so different about her that Asuka loved? 

“Kyu, you are different. Even before we met you wanted to live. You were different then. And now you’re even more different than those clones from today. They aren’t Kyu. They never could be. But you are.” Asuka told her gently. 

“You don’t need to lie. I know I’m just a replaceable clone.” She whispered, not believing it. Kyu looked up at Asuka, with eyes that were filled with desperation. “Will you stay with me anyway?” She asked. 

Asuka didn’t hesitate to answer that. She wrapped her arms around Kyu, making her straighten out. Asuka pressed their bodies together, tucking Kyu’s head into her shoulder. Kyu was crying again, her shoulders heaving as Asuka rocked her back and forth, stroking her hair with one hand and grasping one of Kyu’s hands with the other. Their fingers intertwined at their side, and Asuka gave it a light squeeze to affirm her presence.

“Of course. And you're special, irreplaceable, to me if no one else.” She whispered into Kyu’s ear. The sobs seemed to grow weaker, and Asuka continued. “There are no other yous. If there was another Ayanami-type then I’d know it wasn’t you. The way you smile, the way you talk, the way your hand feels when it holds mine. I know you’re Kyu.” She reaffirmed. Kyu’s free hand wrapped itself around Asuka’s shoulder, pressing her closer than before. Asuka shut her eye, holding Kyu while she finished crying.  


	6. Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The SDAT broke. Asuka wants to fix it. So she doesn't have to walk in silence, and so she doesn't have to see Kyu's disappointed face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Come here. Let me fix it."

It had been five days since they had started heading towards where Asuka hoped the Wunder would be. They had stopped for the night, taking shelter in the husk of a solitary house rising up in the sea of red sand. Asuka had been staring out a hole in the wall, where there should have been a window, ignoring her two companions as she had all the previous nights. 

Shinji had been silent the whole journey, in fact aside from walking he had refused to do anything. Kyu made Rei look like a motor mouth by comparison. The last conversation, the only conversation, that Asuka had had with Kyu had been two days ago, where her and Kyu had discussed what she should be called, until Asuka had come up with Kyu, her being the former pilot of Eva 09. 

It was better than nothing. 

Kyu had said her new name once and then fallen silent again. 

The silence was starting to get to Asuka, and she was tempted to start talking to herself, if only to fill it with some noise. It wasn’t like she had anyone to talk to anyway. Shinji would refuse to respond if she asked anything, and she didn’t even know where to begin with talking to Kyu.

At the very least, Kyu had the SDAT player to escape to. When they were walking she would usually be wearing the headphones and carrying it in one of her hands. Even when she put the headphones around her neck Asuka could hear music piping through them and into the empty air. She would slow her pace, just slightly, so that Kyu could catch up to her. The music had been a welcome relief for Asuka, even if she considered most of it to be rather boring. It was noise that distracted her from the thoughts that they would die in the desert long before WILLE found them. 

She wondered if Kyu used it the same way. To distract her from whatever problems she was facing.    


She had faintly heard the music playing behind her as she sat looking out the hole in the wall. Her eyes wandered to where Kyu was slowly approaching Shinji, one hand holding the headphones and the other holding the main body. Kyu intended to give it back to Shinji, knowing that it would remind him of Kaworu Nagisa and hoping that it would perhaps make him feel happier. 

He had slapped the music player out of her hand, sending it flying into the wall. It bounced off and landed in the sand. Asuka diverted her full attention to the scene playing out in front of her, her teeth clenching in anger. Shinji  turned away from Kyu, refusing to acknowledge her at all. Kyu had hovered around Shinji for another few seconds, staring at her now empty hands. She then muttered a hasty apology and then walked over to the fallen SDAT, picking it up and plugging the headphones back in. 

Asuka could tell that it was broken by the expression on Kyu’s face a few seconds later. She had shaken it, fiddled with the buttons, tried to get it to work again. Then, resigning to the fact that it was broken, Kyu had silently begun to walk towards her own corner of the house, getting as far away from Shinji as she could. Asuka closed her eyes, trying hard not to yell at Shinji. It would just be a waste of her time and energy. So she silently watched Kyu walk further away, her shoulders shrugged tightly, as if she was trying to prepare herself for a blow. . 

Asuka realized it would be be a quiet walk tomorrow. 

Unless she did something. She had kept her handheld video game player functioning for the past fourteen years, learning how to tinker and fiddle with electronics in her downtime. She guessed that the SDAT would work the same way. 

“Come here. Let me fix it.” Asuka called, walking over to a fallen slab of concrete that was tall enough to serve as a table. She realized how foreign her own voice sounded, after neglecting it for two days. Kyu turned around, the sadness on her face palpable. Even though she told herself that she had offered to fix it so that she would have something to listen to tomorrow, she also hated seeing the look of disappointment on Kyu’s face. Kyu’s body had perked up at the offer and she had made her way over to Asuka, gripping the broken music player.

Wordlessly, Kyu let Asuka take the SDAT out of her hand, and then set it on a slab of concrete sticking out of the sand. Asuka popped the battery case open, discarding the dented battery onto the ground. That would need to be replaced. The battery compartment was also bent out of shape, but Asuka managed to flatten it out well enough. 

Asuka was hopeful that a busted battery was all that was wrong with it. She glanced at the battery on the ground. It was smaller than average, flat and circular. Definitely not standard for an SDAT. Someone, she glanced at Shinji, had rebuilt the whole thing. And she doubted Shinji had the knowhow to do it. Yet it was beneficial for Asuka. She knew where to find a replacement for the battery. She had looked at Kyu again, focusing on the top of her head. 

“You need those?” She asked Kyu, pointing at the neural clips that ran through her hair. Kyu’s hands rose to take them out, and she looked down at them.

“No. I do not.” She admitted, turning them over in her hand. She would no longer pilot, and she did not wish to remind herself of that life. 

“Smash one then. It’s pretty cathartic actually.” Asuka suggested. Kyu looked at the neural clips one last time, and then threw one of them at the wall with all the force she could muster. There was a loud crack as the shell shattered, bits and pieces flying everywhere. Kyu surveyed the damage from where she had thrown it before walking towards where most of it had fallen. She scooped up the main body of the neural clip and carrying it back to Asuka. It was set on the slab of concrete beside the SDAT, then she herself sat down on the ground. Her back against the slab with her knees curled up to her chest. 

Asuka was almost tempted to take off her eyepatch so she could have some light as she worked under the starlight. The battery was small, and deep inside the neural clip. It was slow work picking through it. She sighed, looking down at Kyu. Kyu seemed to sense her gaze and looked up to meet her eyes. There was a glimmer of hopeful anticipation in them. Asuka told herself that she wouldn’t disappoint her. 

Asuka finally found the battery among the mess and slipped it into the SDAT. She closed the case and whacked the music player with her palm, just in case that helped. Then she handed it back to Kyu. “Try it.” She suggested. Kyu did so, the familiar sounds of an orchestra filling the air a moment later. Asuka could see Kyu’s eyes grow wide with wonder, and then her mouth crept upward into a smile.

“Thank you Shikinami.” She told Asuka, slumping back against the slab of concrete. Asuka sighed. It had been fourteen years since someone had said thank you to her. Asuka looked at Shinji, who sat alone in his corner. Not a single hint of regret on his face for what he had done. He only stared at the other two with emotionless eyes. Again Asuka wanted to yell at him, and again she realized how pointless it would be. Instead she carefully sat down beside Kyu, letting the sounds of the music and the gentle heat radiating off of Kyu lull her to sleep.


	7. Reminders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyu has nightmares. So does Asuka. Rei doesn't need to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Have you slept?"

Asuka knew the answer she would get before she had even asked the question. “Have you slept?” She asked Kyu. They were laying on their bed in their room aboard the Wunder, the lights still on. Asuka was on her side, looking at Kyu. Kyu was on her back, her hands folded over her stomach and looking at the ceiling. Asuka could see the red eyes slowly shift towards her as Kyu acknowledged her presence.

“No. I could not sleep without dreaming that you had died.” Kyu explained quietly. She rolled onto her side, facing away from Asuka. “Two days, two days of searching for you, not knowing if you had survived.” She lamented, a mix of anger and worry in her voice. Asuka had been forced to eject from her Eva after a battle with NERV. The Wunder had been forced to retreat as well, if only for a few hours to conduct repairs safely. Asuka had been gone when they returned to the battle-site. Kyu shook as she remembered those past two days, spent wondering if Asuka was still alive. All the doubt that had plagued her. 

“Hey, I’m back. So get some sleep, okay.” Asuka pressed her face into the back of Kyu’s neck, placing an arm over her in a loose embrace. Kyu’s shaking seemed to settle down at that, and eventually Asuka could feel the normal rise and fall of her chest, telling her that Kyu was asleep. Asuka smiled, running her fingers through Kyu’s hair for a few minutes before withdrawing it. Very carefully she pulled away from Kyu, swinging her legs over the side of their bed. 

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her hands as she clenched them repeatedly. She bitterly thought about how she couldn’t even take her own advice and get some sleep. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flicker of movement, and her head tilted upwards searching for it. Nothing was there. Nothing ever was. Kyu said that she could occasionally see her, but Asuka didn’t have that privilege. 

“Have you slept?” The words seemed to form in her mind, emanating from nowhere in particular. The lights in the room flickered off, even though Asuka was nowhere near the lightswitch. A gentle push to let her sleep easier. “Asuka.” Rei’s voice sounded annoyed, waiting for a response from her. Like Asuka had with Kyu, she knew the answer.    


“No. I can’t sleep.” Asuka whispered to the empty air. Rei would hear it, as she heard everything on the Wunder. One of the many advantages of being the soul inside the engine of the living vessel. Another was diverting extra hot water to Asuka’s shower. “Too scared. After fourteen years you’d have thought that the nightmares would have ended. Turns out that more just show up” She looked down at her lap, clasping her hands. She was weary of the nightmares. “Do you sleep anymore?”

“No.” Rei replied, a hint of sadness on her voice. “Though I think that I wish to again, some day.” Asuka felt something cold touch her shoulder. She reached out, hoping to feel something when she reached back. There was nothing there. “You do require sleep though. And both you and Kyu could just use some rest.” Rei reaffirmed. “I will watch over you.” She promised.  

Asuka nodded, knowing that it was better than to argue with Rei. She had become much more persistent in the intervening years, especially in regards to Asuka's health. Perhaps to make up for what she thought of as past mistakes. Asuka climbed back under the covers, feeling Kyu shift beside her, onto her other shoulder so that she now faced Asuka. Kyu reached out for her in her sleep, throwing an arm around her shoulder and pulling herself closer to Asuka. Asuka ensured she closed the distance and shut her good eye, letting her weariness overwhelm her. She desperately hoped for a good sleep. 


	8. Bekenntnis (Confession)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asuka wants to confess to Rei. Without anyone knowing. 
> 
> Kinda slice of life AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some words of wisdom via "Just Shower Thoughts"
> 
> Tell someone you love them today, because life is short, but scream it at them in German because life is also confusing and scary.

Few people realized that Asuka Langley Soryuu did not hate Rei Ayanami. Because she had hated her, months ago. And Asuka had made that fact known. As loudly as possible. What she hadn’t made known was how she had reconciled with Rei three months beforehand. Nor how her feelings had done a one-eighty and she was now suffering from a very bad crush on Rei.

So, when she had stomped to the back of the room before class one day, most of the people in the class watched with a sense of morbid curiosity. Asuka stood in front of Rei’s desk while Rei kept her nose buried in a book, not seeming to notice her. It only seemed to make Asuka more annoyed, and she placed her hands on the desk, leaning over it and into Rei’s light. Finally Rei looked up at her, a frown on her face. It turned to a look of curiosity after a moment, and the two of them stared at each other. The class quieted down, as if the teacher had entered. He hadn’t though, instead they watched intently to see what would happen.

“ _Ich bin in dich verliebt_!” Asuka yelled and broke the silence, sounding as venomous as was possible. A few people around the room gasped and recoiled at what had sounded like a rather hateful insult. Asuka smiled at the flawless execution of her plan. Confessing, getting that weight off her chest, yet also not having to face the consequences because Rei and everyone else in the room didn’t understand her. And, all according to plan, some confusion did show up on Rei’s face. Asuka crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for a response. She already knew what it would be though.

“ _Oh. Ich auch_.” Rei said casually, perhaps a hint of surprise on her voice. It was heavily accented, but passable German. As such, it took a moment for Asuka to process it. Especially since she already had a response in mind. One that was a response to Rei’s imagined request to repeat it in a language she knew.

“It’s so vulgar I would never-wait what?” As soon as her mind processed what Rei had said, her brain had hit the brakes. It wondered why Rei had said ‘me too’ in response to her confession. Now she was the one who was confused, her mouth hanging ever so slightly.

“ _Ich liebe dich auch._ ” Rei clarified, her voice barely rising above a whisper. Asuka felt her face heat up in embarrassment. ‘I love you too’ was the one thing that Asuka had not expected. Wanted to hear for sure, but not expected. “Why did you have to say it in German?” Rei wondered aloud, as if that was the confusing part, and not the actual words themselves. She stared at Rei, trying to discern if she was joking. And Rei Ayanami was either serious or had the best poker face Asuka had ever seen.

Asuka could hear the whispers start from the once silent class. She glanced around at people’s expressions. Most were confused, themselves glancing around to see if anyone had any ideas at all what had been said. Kensuke was digging through the books on the shelf in search of a German to Japanese dictionary. Shinji was noiselessly sounding out the sentence, his eyes growing wide as realization dawned on him. Asuka shot him a threatening glare.

The teacher walked into class before anything else could happen, and Asuka puffed out her cheeks. “Wait for me at the front of the school after classes. We’ll finish this conversation then.” She said, trying to keep up her false anger and _not_ sound flustered. Rei nodded, then picked up her book again. Asuka turned on her heel and kept her chin up as she walked back to her desk. A smile threatened to cross her face, but she wouldn’t let it. At least until people stopped looking at her.


	9. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei isn't at school and Shinji asks Asuka to check on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

Asuka thought that to call the day gloomy would be an understatement. Thick clouds covered Tokyo-3, and though it was not raining the air was thick with moisture, bringing a chill to Asuka’s bones whenever she stepped outside. On top of that, half of her class was missing from being sick, including, much to both hers and Shinji’s surprise, Rei. Asuka hadn’t expected a simple flu to knock down Rei. Shinji had also been surprised, saying that she had been ready to pilot an Eva even when severely injured. Asuka was willing to believe that was true.  

“Where’s Wondergirl’s place anyway?” Asuka asked Shinji as they walked back to their apartment after school had finished. He stopped for a moment, looking around the city, before pointing westward at a row of identical apartment buildings. Asuka scrunched her brow in confusion, wondering if Shinji was lying. That part of the city was abandoned, or so she had been told. The Commander wouldn’t really shove his favourite pet into some run down empty apartment, she thought, would he?   

“You sure?” Asuka asked him to confirm.

“Yes. I don’t know why she lives there, but she does. Apartment… something 02, I forget the floor.” Shinji shrugged. “Anyhow I don’t Misato to yell at me.” He told her as he ran off, leaving Asuka alone in the cold street. She sighed, sticking her hands into her pockets, and began to walk to the row of identical apartment buildings.

As Asuka found out, the Commander really would shove his favourite pet into some run down empty apartment complex. It had taken a while, and Asuka had been prepared to give up and head home. She’d have lied to Shinji, said that Rei was fine. Something that she thought was curiosity kept her looking though, and eventually she had found the small name plaque on one of the doors of the fourth floor. Ayanami. There were no other occupants, at least ones with name plates.

Asuka knocked, and when she got no reply, she tried the door. It was unlocked, and Asuka took a careful step inside the dimly lit apartment. It was smaller than Misato’s apartment, a lot smaller, and somehow dirtier as well. The floor behind the door was scuffed and littered with various pieces of mail.

“Wondergirl? You in here?” Asuka’s eyes darted around the apartment. It consisted of a large room, divided in half by a wall but without a door, and what she guessed was a bathroom put off to one side behind a curtain. The front of the room could be called a kitchen, with countertops, a sink, and a stove, and the back could be called a bedroom. She could see the back of a bed and a dresser though the opening. She peeked behind the curtain to the side, confirming that it was a bathroom and was currently unoccupied. On the small bed there was a lump, and Asuka moved closer, passing the threshold of the room. Her eyes fell upon the lump on the bed, the stock of blue hair peeking out above the covers giving away its identity, and then they shifted around the room. There were bandages littering the ground, and pushed against the wall opposite the bed a messy nightstand with various medications sitting on top of it.  

She looked back at Rei, the blanket reaching up to her chin. Her face was paler than usual, which Asuka hadn’t thought possible, and she was sweating profusely. Her eyes were closed and she might have been sleeping, though Asuka couldn’t tell. Asuka harrumphed and turned around, starting to walk out the door. Even the usually invincible Wondergirl was down and out then. She looked forward to getting back to her apartment and curling up under a blanket to strive off the chill in the air.

“Soryuu?” The voice was quiet, and Rei lifted her head up to look at Asuka. Asuka looked back at Rei’s half opened gaze, the eyelids too heavy to lift fully. Rei blinked slowly, as if she was trying to determine if she was actually seeing Asuka. “Why are you here?” She croaked.

“The idiot wanted to make sure that you were doing alright, but Misato needed him to do chores today so he couldn’t come. He asked me to check up on you instead.” Of course, she thought, there was something else she could have done.

“You could have lied to Ikari, and not come at all.” Rei noted. There was no love lost between them, and Asuka _had_ thought about doing just that. Asuka grimaced slightly. Even in a fevered state Rei had figured it immediately.

“Yeah, well, us pilots are supposed to look out for each other.” Asuka crossed her arms indignantly, summoning up an annoyed tone. She turned ninety degrees, walking over to the collection of pills on the metal dresser. Most of them were poorly labeled, with only ‘Ayanami, Rei’ written on them. “I don’t suppose any of these can help get you back on your feet, can they?”

“No, I do not believe so.” Rei muttered. A puff of air escaped through Asuka’s nose in a snort. Even Rei didn’t know what she was taking.

“Well, you got anything else for medicine?” Asuka asked, turning a bottle of unlabeled pills over in her hands.

“No, I do not. I will be fine, you do not have to…” Rei trailed off, her head falling back onto the pillow. “Stay any longer.” She finished, her voice barely above a breath.

“I didn’t intend to.” Asuka said, putting the bottle of pills down and walking into the kitchen. The apartment made Asuka’s stomach twist into a knot, a small piece of fuel to add to her seething anger at the Commander and the rest of NERV’s staff. Asuka threw the door open and took a step out to the outside hall.

Then the heavens, that had been threatening to open the entire day, did so with a crack of thunder. Large drops of rain poured down in sheets. Asuka sighed, there was no way she was going to get home in this weather without getting absolutely soaked, and she would rather not end up sick. So she turned on her heel again, marching back into the apartment and quietly closing the door. She leaned against the door, not wanting to intrude on Rei’s space more than she had already. Misato would be there to pick her up, eventually. Shinji would tell her where she was.

There was a quiet whimpering from the back room, accompanied by the creak of the various joints in the bed frame. Asuka looked at the opening to the back of the room, seeing the shifting of the sheets as Rei slowly stood up. She appeared a few moments later, placing a hand against the wall to keep her balanced. She seemed taken aback for a moment when she saw Asuka once again in her apartment, and then her expression turned to a scowl. Asuka jerked her chin back at the door.

“Started to rain out. And I ain’t going to get drenched running back to my apartment.” Asuka explained to Rei’s perceived unasked question. Rei didn’t seem to acknowledge Asuka’s words, moving to the kitchen sink. She planted her hands on the countertop in front of it and leaned over it, catching her breath. “I’m stuck here, I'm not choosing to stay you know.” Rei still didn’t respond, and pulled out a glass from the cupboard above the sink. Shakily she put it under the faucet, and then turned it on. For a moment nothing happened, and then a sputter of murky water emerged. Asuka’s eyes went wide, not believing what she was seeing. The water slowly became clearer as more of it flowed, but Asuka doubted that it was clean. Once the glass was full, Rei turned the faucet off and lifted the glass towards her face.

Asuka was quicker, placing a hand over the glass and pushing it down. Rei lost her grip on the glass, and it hit the countertop before bouncing into the sink, spilling the water down the drain. The glass didn’t shatter, but the crash was still loud enough to make Rei flinch. Rei’s eyes darted to Asuka, her scowl deepening. Asuka matched the expression with one of her own.

“You’re really going to drink that?” Asuka asked. There was dubious water and then there was what had come out of Rei’s sink. She spun Rei around, so they stood face to face. Then Asuka began to push her out of the kitchen area, Rei stumbling backwards.

“Soryuu. Stop this. I can look after myself.” Rei protested weakly. She tried to struggle out of Asuka's grip, which only made Asuka grab on tighter.

“Okay then, I’ll just let you drink that water and watch when you get even more sick. Talk about taking care of yourself” Asuka mocked, looking Rei squarely in the eyes and scrunching her brow in annoyance.

Rei glared at her again, but didn’t say anything. Asuka inhaled and exhaled slowly, calming herself before she did get legitimately angry at Rei. Instead she continued to push her back into the bedroom, and then down onto the bed. Asuka saw that Rei’s pillow was bloodstained, and flipped it over, all she could do without another pillow being around. Either Rei didn't care enough to get another pillow, or no one cared enough to give her one. Either option made Asuka grit her teeth slightly, more and more signs of neglect becoming apparent to her. Rei sat up in the bed, leaning back slightly so her back were supported by the metal headboard.  

“I’ll make you something. Just stay there in bed.” Asuka commanded, giving Rei one final push on the shoulder so she would understand she should stay where she was. Then she lifted her hands off of Rei and stepped back before turning around and storming back into the kitchen, dropping her bag on the chair beside the bed as she went. Rei watched her go, and then bowed her head, looking down at her lap. Even the small walk had been a struggle for her, and she was exhausted.  

Asuka dug through the cabinets and cupboards of Rei's kitchen, coming up with a small box of tea bags, a couple dusty mugs, and an unused kettle. She filled the kettle with water, which thankfully looked a bit clearer than before, and threw it on the stove. Then she rinsed out the mugs, using the least amount of water as she possibly could. Next she pushed past the curtain leading to the bathroom, drying the mugs thoroughly with a brown towel that hung on a hook. When she came back, she placed a bag into each mug and waited for the water to boil. She couldn’t hear any movement from the other room, meaning that Rei was listening to her, which she took as a victory. She only could stand so much idiocy, and Rei had bounded over that line. Eventually the kettle began to whistle and Asuka lifted it off the stove. She turned it off before going to pour the water into the mugs, letting them steep for a few minutes before throwing the tea bags into the sink, not knowing where to find a garbage can in the kitchen.    

Asuka took both cups and moved back into the bedroom, setting her own cup on the chair beside her schoolbag. Rei looked up, too tired to scowl at the unwanted aid. Asuka held the cup of tea in front of Rei’s chest. “Here, drink this, you’ll feel better.” Asuka said, letting Rei put her hands around the mug. Asuka coaxed it upwards to Rei’s lips, and she took a small sip before pushing the mug back. Rei moved the cup down to her lap, where she held it and stared down into the liquid.

Then Asuka moved back to the chair, putting her backpack on the floor and grabbing her own cup. She took a short sip, then pulled out her schoolwork, beginning to work on what had been assigned for the day. For a few minutes the only sounds were the rain prattling on the window, Asuka flipping a page in her textbook, and the occasional sniffle from Rei. Rei’s eyes shifted between the tea and Asuka.

“Thank you for the tea, Asuka.” Rei whispered, wanting to say something without disturbing the silence too much. It was good, refreshing for her. Asuka looked up from her textbook and nodded, giving a small grunt in lieu of an actual ‘you’re welcome’. Then the quiet returned and they went back to their own private worlds, waiting for the rain to end.


	10. First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyu's first night on the Wunder.

The bed was soft under Kyu’s hand, in fact it was the softest thing that she had ever touched. Her fingers brushed over the sheet, feeling it while wearing a curious frown. Commander Ikari would have never given her something like it, nor would she have taken it she found something similar in the ruins of NERV. 

“Well?” Asuka asked. She stood in the middle of her room on the Wunder, her arms at her side. They had been picked up by a helicopter in the morning and taken to the flying ship. Kyu could see the damage that she had caused in her two attacks, not completely repaired yet. Kyu still could not understand why they had let her stay, even though the captain had seemed adamant of getting rid of her when they had first arrived. 

“It seems… comfortable.” Kyu observed. Comfort was the warm embrace of LCL, the loss of her thoughts when she had bathed in it. The room, small, warm, dimly lit, and still smelling faintly of Asuka after weeks of being unused, was comfortable in that way. 

“If you think this is comfortable, you should have seen rooms pre-Near Third Impact.” Asuka told her, then let loose a small laugh. Kyu frowned, trying to imagine as instructed.

The closest she could get were the actual sleeping quarters in NERV. She had not been assigned one, the Commander and Sub-commander setting up a makeshift room for her near the LCL tube that she was ordered to enter on a regular basis. It had given her a place to sleep that would keep her out of sight of them, and would ensure that she was not damaged by sleeping on the hard floor. That was the only reason why she had been given those small accommodations. Kyu saw the logic in it.

Asuka, Kyu suspected, would balk at her if she ever told her. When the two of them along with pilot Ikari were making their way to the Wunder, Asuka had asked her what it was like living at NERV. Kyu had told her, though the reply only made Asuka angry. Angry that the Commander could be so heartless as to make her live in such decrepit conditions. Yet it was the most practical solution as Kyu saw it. She was replaceable, and like the EVA that she had piloted before, she was given the bare requirements to survive. The EVA did not need comforts, so why should she. 

So she stood up and took a step away from the bed. It was Asuka’s bed. She would not impose herself on it any longer. As if she had been waiting for Kyu to do so, Asuka passed her and sat down, further up the bed than where Kyu had been sitting. Kyu watched Asuka sit and lift her gaze so she stared back at Kyu, her one good eye fixed squarely in the center of Kyu’s vision. They held the other’s gaze silently. 

Kyu stood completely still, even though her mind was racing. Was Asuka expecting her to do something, or say something. Perhaps she wanted her to leave. The Commander never told her to leave, merely began ignoring her and she knew it was time to return to her makeshift room.

This was different. Asuka was not ignoring her. The very opposite in fact. Kyu could tell that Asuka was entirely focussed on her. It was something that she was not used to. 

“Are you going to sit back down or are you going to stand there all night?” Asuka asked after a minute had passed. Kyu tilted her head to the side, running the words through her head. The Commander was straightforward. He would give orders, and Kyu would follow them to the best of her ability.

“If that is what you want me to do.” She replied matter-of-factually. 

The response seemed to frustrate Asuka, who shook her head in response, as if that had been the wrong answer. This was different, Kyu realized. This was the same as what had led her to initially eject from her doomed EVA. Not an order, not a statement, or a question even. It was a suggestion. Something that she would have to decide for herself. 

She closed her eyes. For the past two weeks, she had been encouraged to think for herself. Make her own decisions. They had been simple, easy to make. Follow Asuka as she trekked across the wasteland so that WILLE could find them. Get on the helicopter when it did arrive. Tell the captain that she wanted to stay aboard the Wunder. Those were to survive, continue to exist. She had not been ordered to die, nor did she see any reason for her not to continue living, so she had chosen to live.

This was different. She did not need comforts. Asuka would have prefered that she accept it, but that was the only reason that she would have done so. Asuka had told her to think for herself, so the reason she had would in fact be going against that, she figured. Yet, there was no reason for her not to accept the offer either. The bed, she thought, could fit both of them. And Asuka had been the one to extend the offer, meaning that her presence was not unwelcome. 

“Shikinami, I cannot decide.” Kyu stated, the impasse too hard to reconcile for her herself. 

“Why?” Asuka asked. There was a hint of annoyance on her voice, as Kyu expected there to be. 

“It… it is difficult.” She admitted, giving her head a small shake. She was exhausted, though she did her best not to let it be known. “I am not used to wanting, or acting on what I do want.” 

“Okay. Come, sleep with me. We both should fit.” Asuka sounded resigned, but accepted Kyu’s unspoken request to make the decision for her. 

Kyu followed through with it immediately. She walked forward and sat on the bed beside Asuka, and then maneuvered herself so that she lay against the wall, giving Asuka as much room as she could. Asuka accepted it, and turned off the small light in the wall that had lit the room, leaving the two of them in darkness. Kyu could feel Asuka next to her, heat radiating off of her, and the slight changes in the bed as Asuka shifted around. It was, Kyu realized, comfortable. More so than even the tube of LCL which she had held all other feelings of comfort to. A warm feeling bubbled up inside her, making her feel lighter. A smile tugged across her face. She was content. She was happy. 

Perhaps, she thought, in time she could learn to want this comfort and the happiness that it brought. Perhaps, she thought, this was why people chose to accept the comforts offered to them. In time, she imagined that she could also learn to want this. For now though, she would merely enjoy it for however long it lasted.


	11. Elevator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts in an elevator

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xairathan and I decided to do a 25 word fic challenge instead of our actual drafts. This is the result.

It was in the elevator

When she said to Asuka

"Open your heart to Eva"

When she wanted to say

"Open your heart to me"


	12. Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writeober 2018, for us who want to inktober but can't draw for shite. A friend homebrewed a list for it, the first prompt being 'Strangers'. I'll probably have all prompts be Asurei, so enjoy. They'll also be a lot shorter than usual, around 100/200 words.

The men who came for her were strangers, as they always were. Rei couldn’t identify the agents of Section 2 behind their dark aviator sunglasses. Not that she had cared before. They were here to collect her, deliver her to the Geofront. It was like it had always been.

 

“Well, what about me?” Asuka stated to the agent who had knocked on Rei’s door. Rei stood behind Asuka, both annoyed and confused at the intervention of the other pilot. 

 

“You weren’t requested.” Came the reply from the stranger. “Only the first child.” There was a slight change on the e

 

“I don’t care, I just left something in my locker.” Asuka explained coyly. Rei thought back to the last time they had been in NERV’s locker room. Asuka had complained, Rei had sat down next to her, even though she had no reason to, and listened. Asuka had been taken aback by the gesture, leaving soon afterwards but showing up at her apartment earlier the next morning. However, Rei noted, she had not left any personal items behind. 

 

“We will have someone pick it up.” The agent said, sounding exasperated. 

 

“No, you can’t. It’s a woman thing. I wouldn’t let someone like you touch it.” Asuka gave a small harrumph and crossed her arms. 

 

There was a short pause as the agent picked up his phone, and walked to the edge of the balcony to get away from the two pilots. 

 

Asuka turned around and gave Rei a grin. 

 

“What are you doing?” Rei asked quietly. The grin faded and Asuka rolled her eyes, leaning on the wall. 

 

“I just want to head to the facility, jeez. Plus, you could use a familiar face among all these goons.” Asuka told her. Rei scrunched her brow. 

 

“That is not a concern.” Rei stated, then glanced up at the agent, who had turned around and was walking back towards them. 

 

“You can come.” He addressed Asuka, “but you are to proceed immediately to your locker and then leave. An agent will pick you up at the surface.” 

 

“Fine with me. Let’s go Wondergirl.” Asuka walked past the agent and down the stairs, Rei following behind her, trying to discern why Asuka would lie and risk being reprimanded to go back to the Geofront. 

 

There was another agent from Section 2, another stranger with hidden eyes, waiting at a car downstairs.Once again, this shouldn’t have bothered Rei, nor had it ever before. But there was something different now. As she ducked into the backseat to sit beside Asuka, she realized the second child had given her a familiar face, and a strange relief fell over Rei. 


	13. Gather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day two of Writeober.

Asuka hadn’t liked the idea of going back to Germany when it was first given to her as an option. There were friends, family who lived there. Who had been witness to everything that had happened on New Years Day, Third Impact as it was known now. Yet, she was here now, escorting Misato to the front door of the country house, one of her family’s possessions. Her former guardian stopped at the door and turned to face Asuka, who stayed within the threshold of the door. 

 

“Call me when you’re ready to head back, there’s going to be jobs waiting for you in Berlin.” Misato told her. Asuka gave a nod to acknowledge her, but remained silent. Misato sighed, lowering her eyes. “I know I wasn’t that helpful for you in Tokyo-3, but if you need any advice…” She trailed off.

 

“I’ll be fine.” Asuka assured, squaring her shoulders. Misato nodded and turned, walking back to her car she had used to drop Asuka off. On her way she gave a wave towards the small field of sunflowers that grew beside the house, and the person standing beside them. 

 

Asuka left the house after Misato pulled away, and walked towards the sunflower field, carrying two burlap bags with knives in them. 

 

Rei was wearing what Asuka considered to be a comically oversized sun hat on, the brim nearly half of Rei’s height. It was tied with a red ribbon that looped under her chin. 

 

“Hey,” Asuka greeted her, unsure of what else to say. Rei was silent, Asuka able to tell that she was lost in thought. Perhaps the events of Third Impact had made Rei realize something, or perhaps Asuka had always shoved her previous attempts to become friends, but it wasn’t until the aftermath of the nearly apocalyptic Third Impact that the two had developed what passed for a bond. 

 

When everyone had wanted to talk to Asuka afterwards, they seemed to equally want to avoid Rei, so Asuka found herself spending more and more time in Rei’s room at the military base that had served as a debriefing area for NERV personnel, most of whom had remembered dying before climbing out of the surf. 

 

When it came time for the Tokyo-3 Branch to be dissolved, then, Asuka had told Rei that she could stick with her if she wished. Now they stood in front of rows upon rows of sunflowers, the only two people in kilometers. 

 

“Hey, Ayanami…” Asuka paused, “Rei.” She spoke a bit louder, and Rei finally turned to acknowledge her. 

 

“I apologize Asuka.” Rei tilted her head down slightly. Asuka shook her head, dismissing the apology. It was something that thy would both do from time to time. “I was admiring those flowers, I think of you when I see them.” Rei continued, a hint of curiosity evident in her voice, as if she herself couldn’t understand her response. 

 

Asuka let out a huff and turned away to hide any heat on her cheeks. She set one of the bags down on the ground and pulled the knife out of the other one, walking towards the first row of seemingly uniform flowers. 

 

“Help me gather some of these, alright?” Asuka asked Rei, reaching out and examining one flower in particular. One of the few things her father had taught her was how to harvest the flowers for seeds. The knife flashed in Asuka’s hand and the head was severed from the plant, Asuka placing the flower in the bag. 

 

“It is not something I am familiar with.” Rei stated, picking up the bag and pulling out the knife. “The flowers look the same, does it matter which I choose?” 

 

“It does,” Asuka explained, taking a look at one flower and passing it over. “They look the same at first glance, but they’re actually different when you get close.” She found another suitable flower amd freed it from the stalk, dispensing it with the other one. 

 

“How can I tell.”

 

“First thing’s first, you need to…” 


	14. Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day three of writeober. Word of the day: Court. 
> 
> There are a lot of ways to interpret this word.

There was a small murmur through the royal court as the neighbouring kingdom’s procession began to trickle in. The King, Ikari, leaned on his throne with hands clasped under his chin. On either side sat his children, Shinji watching on with curiosity while Rei had a neutral face that matched the king’s. In front of them, a line of guards parted, revealing the herald they had been protecting throughout their journey. She walked towards the 

 

Mari Makinami gave an exaggerated bow in front of the dias the thrones sat on, then stood up and smiled at the assembled nobles. There was something she found amusing, Rei silently noted. Their eyes met for a moment and Mari’s grin widened. 

 

“King Ikari, may I present to you Princess Asuka Souryuu. The heir of our kingdom, to be bound to your own daughter, as per the arrangement.” 

 

On queue, another person stepped through the line of guards. Dressed finely in red, orange, and green; and with fiery red hair tied in twintails, it was hard to mistake her for anyone but one of the Soryuu’s royal bloodline. 

 

The hall erupted in hushed conversation, and the king stood, staring at Mari. She gave another mocking bow, then looked back at him. 

 

“These were the words you used. And to go against your words now would be… dire.” She explained over the low din. Ikari grimaced at the reminder. 

 

Asuka had approached the dias by that time, and looked uncertainty at the seated figure of Rei. Now she glanced at Mari, her expression telling the herald all she needed to know. 

 

“Yes, her.” She informed Asuka. The red haired princess turned back to Rei, staring at her. 

 

Rei looked over to Gendo, who nodded. At that Rei stood up, then turned and walked towards the back door of the hall. The gathered crowd roared in conversation and jeers, and Asuka took one more look at Mari before rushing after her. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day four, Ghost. This one is a bit messy, so watch out if squeamish to gore descriptions.

Asuka lived. Somehow, she was alive. The spear had split her arm, the sympathetic damage causing her to black out. Yet, she was alive and staring up at the blue sky above her. The great white terrors had left her, probably to take out the other Eva. But they wouldn’t. Shinji could pull it off, the thought manifested reassuringly. He had done it before and he would do it again. Had it been a month ago, she would have laughed at that realization. Now she could only stare up with one eye, the other refusing to open. 

 

Painfully, she tilted her head down to look at her body. She instantly gagged at what she saw, blood spilling from her mouth. Her right arm was little more than a mangled mess of flesh and bone, her left arm was twisted at what should have been an impossible angle. She wanted to shout, but all she could hear was a soft gurgle. 

 

Something shifted in her stomach, and her chest heaved. She squeezed her working eye shut, and choked out sobs. The sun was still above her, shining on her face. She was going to die here, that much was plain. She had practically been dead for the last month, hardly aware of anything happening around her. Just like the last time she had been beaten and a blinding light had shone down on her. Things should have gone differently, she thought desperately. Why didn’t they go differently. 

 

There was a shift in the air around her then, a low rumble passed through her body. The sunlight that lit her face was darkened, and she opened her eye to meet her doom. Something was standing over her, the silhouette changing constantly. Eventually, it settled and bent down, out of the sun. Asuka trembled, trying to get a glimpse of the face. 

 

Red eyes stared back at her, and she wanted to scream. Rei Ayanami had always been pale, but now she was translucent, her entire body aetherial. She was no more solid than a ghost. And then, the ghost’s features began to solidify. At the same time, a pale hand reached towards Asuka. Asuka could hear her heart pound in her ear, and she tried to struggle away. She couldn’t though, and a warm hand touched the side of her face that she couldn’t see from. 

 

“I should have told you sooner,” The voice was clear, too clear, as if it had been Asuka’s own internal voice. But it wasn’t. “Come with me.” Rei’s hand travelled off of her face and down to her arm, and Asuka felt a tingle as it reknit itself, and then Rei put her hand in Asuka’s. Asuka stared at her, both her eyes open now. When had that happened, she wondered. 

 

“Why… should I?” Asuka asked, her voice strained. Rei was taking Asuka’s newly healed arm and putting it around her shoulder. 

 

“I need your help.” Rei told her, speaking out loud now. Carefully, she slid her arms around Asuka’s shoulders, embracing her. “I want you to help me save us…” she continued cryptically. All Asuka could see was blue, from one eye, blue sky, and the other, blue hair. The rumbling from under her grew louder, and Asuka considered the offer for a brief moment. She was given another chance. 

 

“I’ll help.” She mumbled into the ghost’s shoulder, and her body grew warm, sluggish, a comforting feeling like sinking into a hotspring. At the same time, she could see the girl in front of her fade, the distant and quiet voice of Rei Ayanami offering a ‘thank you’ to her. 


	16. Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Five, almost didn't make it

The sun was slowly inching against the towers of Tokyo 3 when Rei opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep, she realized. She felt stiff and cold, though the grass had been comforting last night, it had bled any warmth in her body away. Slowly, she tried to rise, and then realized that she couldn’t. Something was pinning her to the ground, applying pressure around her chest. Glancing down, she saw a red shape entwined around her stomach. She could feel a twinge of annoyance at the colour. Still curious though, her eyes followed the shape towards her side, where it eventually merged with a bigger red shape. 

 

Partially due to the sleep still in her eyes, and partially due to having never experienced such a thing before, it took Rei a few more moments to realize what, or rather who, it was. 

 

The Second Child was pressed up against her side, sleeping soundly with her arms wrapped around Rei’s waist. Rei glanced to her other side, seeing in the pre-dawn light that Shinji Ikari was also asleep on the grass near her. At the base of the hill, she could barely make out the car that Misato had driven them in. They had gone here to enjoy the night sky, something that she had not seen as particularly helpful, yet she had stayed until she had fallen asleep. Rei frowned, pondering the feeling she had last night. It had been pleasant, her mind drifted back to the rare times she had smiled before. 

 

She became more and more aware of the fact that, despite the ground being cold, Asuka was still warm. The other pilot would have shrieked and jerked away from her had she realized what she was doing, but for now, Asuka remained asleep and unaware of what was going on. Rei’s eyes fixed on Asuka’s face, and she frowned. Perhaps they could be friends, she reflected, if things were different for her. If she knew how to do so without it being an order. 

 

“Let’s be friends.” Rei whispered under her breath. That was what Asuka had told her when she had first arrived to Japan. Yet Rei had told her that they wouldn’t. How much did Asuka hold that against her? If she were to say those words again, would she answer differently this time. 

 

Asuka stirred slightly, and Rei froze for a moment, considering what to do. A moment later she came to her decision. Asuka was stubborn; things would be like they were now for more months, and Rei did not know nearly enough about herself to speak of friendships. So, carefully not to disturb Asuka further she set her head back against the grass and closed her eyes. A few moments later, she felt Asuka stir, and then pull her arms away from Rei. 

 

“Huh, guess she’s a heavy sleeper.” She head Asuka whisper to herself. Rei could tell Asuka had stood up, and was walking away. Still, she gave it another thirty seconds before she opened her eyes and sat up, stretching. Asuka had taken a position further down the hill, and was looking out at the rising sun. Rei didn’t follow her down, and she didn’t know if Asuka realized she was awake, but the two of them watched the sunset together. It was a pleasant feeling, Rei thought, feeling the sun tickle her pale skin. 


	17. Bountiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A thanksgiving themed one, because us Canadians have that this monday.

The first thing that Rei noticed when she stepped into the Major’s apartment was the intense blast of humid heat. It was as if she had stepped into an entry plug, and even though she could see that the windows had been opened to let the heat vent, it still clung to her school uniform like a heavy blanket. 

 

Asuka was the first to spot her, and walked up to her. She wore a pink apron over a yellow dress, and her eyes scanned Rei. Rei waited for a comment that she was in her school uniform, but it didn’t come. 

 

“I was beginning to think that you wouldn’t show up.” Asuka said with a light tone. It was teasing, Rei thought. Not malicious though. So, she nodded without comment, and walked into the main area of the apartment. 

 

The table was covered in food; she saw Shinji and Misato in the kitchen, preparing even more. She had not known what to expect from the name of the celebration, Thanksgiving, but what had obviously been an expensive dinner had not crossed her mind. 

 

“Misato set this up.” Asuka explained to her, as if she had read her thoughts. “It’s something that we do back in Germany, and she thought that it would help make me feel more at home.” 

 

It was an unfamiliar concept to Rei. Her home was NERV, and she did not feel any need to emulate what she did in there at other times. The only ease she got from her drills and tests was the sense of routine. 

 

“Did it?” She asked Asuka. The question seemed to catch her off guard, and Asuka shut her eyes as she considered it. Then, with a sigh, she shook her head. 

 

“It doesn’t.” Asuka admitted quietly. Her eyes shifted to the other two occupants, and Rei followed them. If anything, it seemed to her that Asuka was the only one of the apartment’s occupants who wasn’t feeling better from the festive atmosphere. 

 

“I do not know how it would help either.” Rei admitted. A smile suddenly crept onto Asuka’s face, and Rei raised an eyebrow in confusion. Had she said something that Asuka had found amusing, or was it another thing entirely that had just now entered her mind. Then she let out a small, concealed chuckle and shook her head. 

 

“C’mon Wondergirl.” Asuka prompted, turning on her heel and walking deeper into the apartment. Rei followed her, a ponderous expression on her face. It was strange, she thought, that a part of her was glad that she was not the only one who didn’t understand it. 


	18. Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shifting into the Rebuildverse for this one.

Asuka slowly came to her senses, breathing LCL and staring at the pulsating thing in front of her. She had been in the test unit, she recalled vaguely. Then she felt something go wrong, something pull on her entire being and drag it down towards the core. It was strange, she thought, to see a trail of blood suspended in front of her face. Curiously she reached up and poked at it, disturbing the suspended blood. It seemed to fly into the blue light in front of her. 

 

It was an angel, Asuka realized. An angel had taken over the EVA she was in, and now she was a passenger for whatever it wanted to do. The rest of her senses returned as she assessed the situation she was in with more clarity. The smell of LCL permeated everything, and she tasted blood in her mouth. There was a loud  _ thunk  _ and her entire entry pod shook with the impact of something. Her controls moved on their own, jerking out of her grip and working faster than she would have ever been able to. Another vibration rolled through the EVA, this one Asuka could tell was the recoil of a punch. 

 

There was something else that she noticed, a soft, constant beeping, and she looked over the various control panels of her EVA. There was a request to open her communication channel. Weakly, she moved her hand and tapped the panel. 

 

“Who’s there?” She asked. The angel in front of her shifted, and she could feel the words imprint themselves onto her mind. It felt like her head was being squeezed, and she wanted to cry out in pain. 

 

“I am the ninth.” 

But at the same time. 

“It is Rei Ayanami.” 

 

The angel seemed to retreat from her mind, and Asuka took a deep breath, letting loose a small stream of bubbles in the LCL. 

 

“Second, can you hear me?” Rei continued. Asuka nodded, before realizing that there was no visual feed. The headache returned, and an idea sprung up in Asuka’s mind. She wanted to cut the signal, lash out at Rei because she would never call her Asuka, or even just her middle or last name. It was always Second, always Pilot. She had never wanted to be her friend, she had never thanked her for anything. 

 

The last thought gave Asuka pause, and she shook her head. Rei had thanked her. And Asuka had smiled at it, not a controlled smile she put on, but a dumb one that had leapt to her face. Why had that been, she wondered. 

 

“Second.” Was there a hint of concern on Rei’s voice? Asuka felt her hand move back towards the console to shut down the voice. 

 

“Asuka.” She managed to choke out. There was another  _ thunk  _ from outside her EVA. “If you’re going to be worried, at least call me my name.” There was a moment of silence, punctuated by an even louder crash and her body being lifted out of its seat for a moment before it crashed back down. Asuka let out a yelp. 

 

“Asuka, are you alright?” Rei asked. She was concerned, Asuka thought with a bit of pride. She had made her feel something. 

 

“Yes.” She managed to say. The angel was starting to move around the entry plug now, the light shifting from one side to the other as if trying to find the source of Rei’s voice. 

 

“Can you regain control of you EVA?” 

 

“No.” 

 

The angel finally found the communication panel and covered it with blue light. A pungent black liquid began to seep from the panel. 

 

“We will help you.” Rei promised, just before Asuka heard the background static of the call get cut off. Asuka stared at the angel beside her, and then settled down against her chair. The angel pressured her mind again, and she squeezed her eyes shut. 


	19. Scent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sticking with the rebuilds, but going post 3.0 this time.

Asuka clutched Kyu’s hand as she led the blue haired girl away from the mess hall. The Wunder’s hallways were nearly empty, and anyone who was in the hallway stepped to the side to let the pilot and her charge stomp past. 

 

“Why does pilot Makinami do what she does?” Kyu asked Asuka once they were far enough away. Asuka let out a growl, clenching her fist and slowing down slightly. She had gotten used to Mari’s eccentricities over the years, even though they had gotten more pronounced. Kyu had Mari thrust upon her the moment she had stepped onto the Wunder. 

 

“She likes to annoy people, and she likes how LCL smells for some reason.” Asuka paused, then looked back at Kyu. “And you do still smell like that.” Kyu nodded apologetically at the statement. The metallic scent clung to her during their two weeks in the desert, and the next one spent airborne. Much to Asuka’s annoyance, Mari had picked up on the smell as well. 

 

“It was never a concern before.” She explained. Of course it hadn’t been, Asuka thought bitterly. 

 

“We’re going to make sure it isn’t one again.” Asuka told her. The Wunder and the remnants of her support fleet had landed back in the ocean after getting airborne again, which worked in Asuka’s favour. 

 

First she took Kyu back to their quarters, rummaging through her footlocker until she had found what she needed. Triumphantly she held up a small plastic bottle to Kyu, who observed it with a curious expression on her face. 

 

“It’s called shampoo. It’s meant to clean your hair.” Asuka flipped the top of the bottle open and held it towards Kyu’s facs. “Come on, let’s get to the showers.” 

  
  



	20. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day Nine. We're back in the original series, at the Elevator Scene.

“You are like fire.” It was, Rei thought, an unusual thing to say. She was not one to wax on poetically about something, or someone. Especially not the Second Child. The other girl hadn’t expected it either, and she stopped while halfway out the elevator. The doors closed, bouncing off her shoulders before opening again. 

 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Asuka asked quietly, not giving Rei the satisfaction of turning around. Her hand stung from where she had slapped Rei, even though she shouldn’t have felt anything and it should have been the other girl holding her cheek. 

 

“You are spontaneous, choleric.” Rei began. What was she trying to do, she wandered to herself. She had told the Second to open her heart to EVA. It should have ended there, after the slap and Asuka storming out of the elevator. “You burn brightly, and have a passion that is hard for me to understand.” She continued. There was something hidden in her words, she realized. A plea for Asuka to listen to her. Just for once. “I do not think I ever could understand you.” 

 

“Oh, is that it?” Asuka sneered. She finally knew what Rei was doing. She was trying to flatter her, make her owe her to listen to her. Was Rei really that desperate, Asuka thought. With heavy footfalls she moved towards Rei, trying to have as much height on her as she could. Rei didn’t flinch away, instead she continued to look at Asuka. There was a red tinge to the cheek that Asuka had slapped, but she hadn’t seemed to notice. “Is there anything else you wanted to say?” 

 

“There is.” Rei stared into Asuka’s eyes as the other pilot advanced. If Asuka was fire, then her eyes were the heart of the flame. Now Rei could almost feel the heat from them on her skin. “You are also fickle. Your mood will change on a whim. You are self destructive, always consuming what scrap of fuel you can without thinking of moderating yourself.” She waited for some sort of retaliation from the other pilot, another slap, or even outright trying to fight her. Perhaps she would yell in her face, or storm out and curse at her. Instead, Asuka nodded at her, backing up slowly and retreating to one corner of the elevator. The elevator door shut, and it continued on its way to Rei’s destination. 

 

“If I’m fire, then you’re just a block of ice. And you know what happens when you put ice in fire.” Asuka eventually boasted, trying to regain control of the conversation away from Rei. The blue haired girl walked to the opposite side of the elevator, seeming to ponder it for a moment. 

 

“The resulting water will sooth the fire.” Rei mused eventually. 


	21. Crystal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which others conspire to make them friends

“I do not understand why this is necessary Soryuu.” Rei told Asuka as she stood in the middle of the dressing room, wearing a yellow sundress that matched Asuka’s. What had started as a plan for a simple shopping trip with Hikari had somehow managed to turn into the two of them going through a store’s worth of dresses with Rei after Misato had told Asuka to take the other pilot along. Asuka hadn’t been very excited at first, but Rei’s clear annoyance at the situation soon made up for it. And even she had to admit that Rei looked cute in a few outfits she had chosen out. 

 

Hikari, for her part, had been happy to have a third person along with them.

 

“All you have are school uniforms. Do you really want to wear those all the time?” Asuka answered Rei. 

 

“They are functional.” Rei replied matter-of-factually. She turned around in the yellow dress slowly, then shook her head. 

 

“You don’t pick up boys or girls by being functional.” Asuka retorted. Hikari came back with another bundle of dresses, and Asuka moved forward to help Rei out of the one she was currently in. 

 

“I do not wish to pick up anyone.” Rei stated, shrugging off the dress. Asuka huffed, rolling her eyes. Hikari came forward with an ensemble, a long sky blue dress and a white hoodie. Rei regarded it neutrally, before taking the dress and beginning to put it on. 

 

“Isn’t there anyone you want to get closer to?” Hikari asked Rei, helping her into the dress. Rei stayed silent for a long time, but then glanced around the room, her eyes falling on Asuka. Asuka stared back, her arms crossed while she waited for Hikari to finish.

 

“I do wish I could understand some people more.” Rei admitted as Hikari handed her the hoodie. 

 

“Well, it might help if you weren’t always wearing your uniform. It’s too formal if you want to get to know someone.” Hikari explained. 

 

There was a single nod from Rei in response, then her eyes settled on the mirror in front of her. Hikari made her way to where Asuka was, holding one hand in a fist towards her. 

 

“Which one?” Hikari asked, revealing two pendants in her hand, a hexagonal rock attached to a string. One was a milky white quartz, while the other was a dark blue crystal which twisted the light that passed through it. Asuka pointed at the second one wordlessly, and then held out her hand. Hikari passed it and set the other one down. 

 

“One more thing.” Asuka told Rei, who had glanced back at the two of them. She approached from behind, and then put the pendant around Rei’s neck. 

 

Rei reached up and touched it, then pulled it into her view. For half a minute she stared transfixed by the crystal before letting it drop down to her neck. Then she started to take off the hoodie, placing it on the large pile of clothes.

 

“I do not think that any of these outfits suit me.” Rei stated, out of the dress now and already getting into the school uniform she had came in. Asuka let out a frustrated sigh, realizing it had been a waste of time. Hikari gave Asuka an annoyed look before turning her attention back to Rei. Rei slipped the pendant off, and looked at it again.

 

“This is very pleasing to look at however.” 


	22. Letter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I once liked a girl in elementary and I didn't know how to handle it so I wrote her a letter telling her to get out of my school."

Rei watched Asuka stamp on the letters that filled the bottom half of her locker, and had exploded out of it once she had flung her locker open at the end of the day. It was a common occurrence for the newly arrived pilot. Boys and girls would fawn over her, though Rei couldn’t tell what was so appealing. And Asuka herself did not enjoy being barraged by love letters every time she came to class. Eventually the crowd dispersed before Asuka could turn her attention on them, and Rei preceded the rest of the way to her own locker. 

 

Strangely enough, there was a white enveloped lodged halfway into the upper grill. That was not usual, unlike Asuka very few people cared to notice Rei. Careful not to rip the letter, she pulled it out of the grill and held it in her hands to examine it. There was no indication as to who it was from on the outside. Or what the contents in it were. It was more likely than not something trivial, and in the end meaningless to her. Still, she felt like it would be something she should read. Opening the top of the envelope and holding it upside down, she let the letter slip out into her waiting hand. 

 

Her brow furrowed. It took her a few moments for her brain to shift into reading the Latin script the letter was written in. And another to identify the language. German. There was only one person in the school aside from her who would have a good enough understanding of German to write this. 

 

Rei Ayanami: 

You should just leave this school. You should not be here, and I do not like you being here. 

I hate gazing at you every day. I hate it when your eyes pass over mind like they are nothing. I hate the way you look at me as well. I do not want to look at you again. You should get out of my school. 

 

The letter was, unsurprisingly, unsigned. Still, Rei frowned. She had looked at Asuka before, attempting to make sense of the various contradictions that made up Asuka. Yet, she couldn’t. So she had looked some more. Had Asuka been looking back at her? And if so, why? The letter was clearly hostile in nature, yet something seemed off about it. 

 

Rei looked up from the letter, around the hallway. She saw Asuka move away from a pillar and then stomp towards the door. She had been watching her, Rei noted. Perhaps she would be willing to answer the questions that Rei had then. Refolding the letter, she closed her locker and pursued after Asuka. 


	23. Petals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanahaki Asurei AU!

There was a tickle in Rei’s throat, a small itch that nagged at her throughout the day. She knew when it had started; in the locker room after Asuka had, in a moment of sincerity, told her that she was afraid she was not a good pilot. Rei had thought about it for a long time, sitting down on the same bench facing the other direction. She had closed her eyes, reflecting on the other pilot’s actions. The obvious conclusion was that Asuka was not a good pilot. Though she had taken down angels before, she had done so through blindly rushing in, and oftentimes put herself in more danger than necessary. She was also the best improviser of the group, while Rei herself was bound to doctrine and Shinji lacked experience, Asuka would take the initiative, even if it was borne of self-inflated ego. If she could open her heart to her EVA, and to the people around her, then she would be the best pilot of the group.  

 

In hindsight, Rei knew that she should have spoken to Asuka differently. But once she had said that Asuka was not a good pilot, she had said too much. Asuka had stood up suddenly, her body language becoming harsh. In a rage, Asuka had finished changing and walked out to do her synchronization test. Rei hadn’t watched her leave, but had been considering calling out to her, telling her that she had not sufficiently explained it. That Asuka could become a great pilot. 

 

Then the tickle in her throat started. It followed Rei throughout the sync test, where, predictably, Asuka’s sync ratio went down, her own had stayed steady, and Shinji’s had increased. Shinji had tried to speak with both of them, but Rei was of little conversation at the best of times, and what little she did have to say only aggravated her throat. Asuka had simply ignored him, and then she had ignored Rei in the locker room. 

 

Now, Rei was in her apartment, filling a dusty glass with water from the sink she hardly used to try and soothe her throat. A part of her wanted to phone the central command, and request that Doctor Akagi come take a look at her. There was something wrong, that much she could tell, and it was affecting her. Another part of her still ran through scenarios in which she had spoken to Asuka differently, that she could pick up the phone, yes, but instead of calling the Doctor, she could instead phone Major Katsuragi’s apartment. She could ask her if she could talk to Asuka, and then she could explain what she had meant. 

 

She let out a small cough as she drank the water, but the discomfort still remained. How annoying it was, that she had gotten sick. The vast quantities of pills that she took… she did not know what they did, she realized. She had been told to take them, so she had taken them dutifully. 

 

The itch was getting worse now, and Rei went to her bathroom, feeling a sensation in her stomach now, as if it was twisting and trying to rip her apart from the inside. Staggering, she leaned over the bathroom sink, now coughing violently. She would be replaced, she told herself. If she was defected like this, then she would be replaced. She had seen her replacement, stared at the body which looked back at her with lifeless eyes. She knew what was coming. 

 

There was another fit of coughing, and she let out a phlegmy hack, pressing a hand against her stomach. Then, she felt something move in her throat, get tossed away by the air she forced from her lungs. It landed in her mouth, and then with another cough it floated out and into the bathroom’s sink. It was a single flower petal, vibrant yellow in the shape of an elongated oval. 


	24. Medicine

Asuka could hardly believe the condition that Rei’s apartment was in. She had expected it to be neat, pristine, sterile. But in reality, it was as if Rei only cared that there was a bed to sleep in. She walked over mail already covered with shoeprints, and quietly made her way towards the back of the main room. 

 

There was a lump on the bed, covered with blankets. Shinji was there as well, sorting through a tray of pills. He was sitting on the end of the bed. Hearing her approach, he looked up and grimaced. 

 

“Something’s wrong, Asuka.” He stated simply. Asuka let out a scoff, as if that wasn’t completely obvious. Still, she crossed her arms and frowned. 

 

“What do you know, aside from the fact that wondergirl is sick?” She asked, pressing for more details. 

 

“Not much. She was curled up on the bed when I got here to give her her homework. All I’ve really managed to get out of her was that she wanted to see you.” Shinji shook his head, offering a hapless shrug. 

 

“Well, I’m here.” Asuka declared, looking at Rei. “Is that all?” 

 

The blankets stirred ever so slightly. Asuka let out a huff and walked over to the bed, sitting down near the pillow. Asuka stared at the lump, wondering what she should say, or if her presence alone was satisfactory for Rei. The lump of blankets turned, rolling towards her a bit as Rei turned around to look at her, her face peeking out of the blankets like a tortoise. 

 

She looked worse than Asuka had ever seen her before. Her skin so pale it was almost transparent. Her eyes sunken and bagged. Her lips seemed too red. Her hair hung limp and damp with sweat. 

 

What might have been a smile twisted onto her face when she saw Asuka. Then her mouth began to move. She was trying to form words, but all Asuka could hear was the occasional loud breath. Inadvertently, Asuka clenched her fist. She had seen people like this before. Even if she wanted to forget about them. 

 

Awkwardly, she reached out and pushed slightly on Rei’s shoulder, making her roll onto her back. Rei’s head tilted to the side to continue to look at her, the sunken eyes wet. Had she been crying, Asuka through? Could she actually cry? And if she was, then why was she crying? 

 

The musing was interrupted by Shinji getting up from his seat at the base of the bed. He was carrying the tray of Rei’s medicine, a concerned look on his face. He gulped, and then looked around the apartment as if there would be other people there. Once he was sure that they were clear, he turned his gaze back to Asuka. 

 

“We need to talk.” 


	25. Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Campus Apocalype universe, before the series starts.

The angel had not been that hard to beat, considering that its mere presence would devour light around it. Rei had let Asuka take the core, and she was in a jubilant mood.

 

“So, Rei, did you want to do anything now that we‘re done with the angel?” Asuka asked, spinning herself around a lamp post. She stopped when she was facing Rei, then walked backwards, her hands folded behind her. 

 

“I did not know. There is nothing in particular that I would want to do.” Rei stated, hardly taking time to think about. Asuka rolled her eyes, and then put on a charming smile. 

 

“Well, we could always get dinner together.” She offered, turning on her heel and walking side by side with Rei. Her eyes continued to focus on Rei, and she tried to discern the blue haired girl’s thoughts. 

 

“Asuka, I do not think that would be wise. I do not eat meat.” Rei explained dismissively. “And I already have had it arranged so that I get food at my apartment.” 

 

“Well, you have a fridge.” Asuka retorted, stopping. Rei stopped as well, and them turned to Asuka. Asuka reached out with a hand towards Rei, and hesitantly at first the other girl took it. “Plus, we work well together, and I think I would like to get to know you better.” She flashed another grin designed to charm the person it was directed at


	26. Fallen

“It was probably just a firework.” Mari told Asuka dismissively. The two of them were walking through an untamed forest, thankfully mostly clear of any underbrush. A few of the trees above them had scorch marks from fires that were quickly doused by the ensuing rain. 

 

“I’m telling you, it was something falling.” Asuka insisted, pointing up at the smoldering trees. “You can see what it caused.” 

 

“Then where’s the crater? The flattened trees?” Mari countered. All she had heard was a loud pop and a bright flash, while Asuka had insisted she saw more than that. 

 

Asuka reached down, picking up a splintered branch and handing it to Mari smuggly. In response she got an eye roll as Mari turned the branch over in her hands. Asuka herself picked up the pace, following a trail of similarly broken branches. Until finally she found a tree with a splintered trunk, and beyond it something, someone, sat covered in pine needles and scraped by branches. 

 

Asuka approached cautiously, sizing up the person. It was a girl dressed in a white robe, about her age if she had to guess. Unnatural blue hair seemed to glow on top of her head. Then, sensing the presence of another, the girl lifted her head to look at Asuka. Red eyes seemed to piece Asuka’s soul, and Asuka gasped.

 

She had found a fallen angel.  


	27. Sweater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through inktober.

It was the first properly cold day that Tokyo 3 had experienced. Asuka made her way through the boxes of her stuff that she hadn’t unpacked, searching for her winter clothes that she hadn’t expected to need until next year. She could hear Misato talking with Kaji over the phone. 

 

“Your melons? Do you really think that I have enough room to hold some?” Misato said, an annoyed tone on her voice. “Plus, PenPen will probably get into them.”

 

There was a pause and Asuka stopped shifting through her boxes, listening in on the conversation. 

 

“Just put blankets over them. The frost won’t be for more than one night.” Misato explained exasperated. Asuka scoffed, then went back to work. 

 

It took her a few minutes to realize that she was being watched, and she whipped her head around. Shinji shrinked back from the door, and Asuka let out a sigh. 

 

“What is it?” She asked him, continuing to sort through the boxes. She was certain she hadn’t forgotten them in Hamburg. She could hear him rocking back and forth on his heels. 

 

“Well, Ayanami only has her school uniforms.” Shinji told her timidly. Asuka looked up at him, trying to tell if he was serious, and then went back to looking for her sweaters when she saw he was. Finally, she found one lighter than the rest and opened it. 

 

“Why should I care?” She asked, picking out a red sweater and throwing it on. She pulled out the rest of the clothes, a pale yellow sweater that matched her dress, and dark grey sweater that was well worn. 

 

“You and Ayanami haven’t always gotten along.” Shinji started nervously, “And you think Ayanami is not a good person but she is. You just… maybe you could becomes friends with her.” 

 

“What makes you think I want her to be my friend?” Asuka asked, standing up suddenly. If Shinji had taken a stab in the dark, she thought, then he had connected. That only pissed her off more. 

 

“You asked her when you first arrived.” Shinji said simply. 

 

“And you think I still do?” Asuka snapped, marching forward towards him. She was tempted to throw the sweaters in his face and storm out in denial, but she didn’t. As much as she hated to admit it, he wasn’t wrong. She did want to become friends with Rei. She sighed, setting the yellow sweater on her bed and putting her grey one under her arm. Shinji’s lip disappeared as he bit it, stil nervous and uncertain. 

 

“She lives on the east side of the city, there’s a bunch of apartments. She’s in the… first one, 406.” He offered. Asuka nodded, the only thanks he would get, and then she gave a wave to Misato as she walked out. 


	28. Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Writeober continues. Though the theme itself was poison, I found the best association was with a song that I’ve had with me for a long time.

There was nothing to do but think in her silent bedroom, so Asuka thought. She thought about the day over and over again. She thought about the memories, the images that the sngel had dragged up. The vivid imagery that made her stomach twist and turn, that made her eyes sting with tears. She thought about the one who saved her, the one who had been right. The one who, for a moment, she had wanted to thank. She curled up in the darkness and rested her forehead between her legs. Her arms wrapped around her legs, holding them close to her chest.

 

She became vaguely aware of someone else in the room with her when she felt cool hands on her shoulders. It didn’t stir her though. She was going through her memories again, watching her mother in her final moments. Any second now, Asuka would hear the snap. Then it would be over. 

 

“Soryuu.” The voice cut through her stupor, and she opened her eyes, lifting her head. Even in the darkened room, Rei’s body was pale enough to glow. She could clearly see the emotions which rang through the red eyes as well. Concern, guilt, fear; her eyes undermined the stoic expression on her face.

 

“Go away.” Asuka let out a weak protest, all she was able to muster up. Rei got up from Asuka’s bed, and left Asuka’s view. She didn’t move her head to follow Rei, but she could still hear her. Rei was pacing back and forth, agitated like a butterfly in a jar. “Why are you here?”

 

“Everything is different after today.” Rei told her. Asuka stayed silent, listening to the dampened conversation between Shinji and Misato. She could make out their voices, but their words were unintelligible. “They don’t know I’m here.” Rei stated, without giving further explanation. 

 

Asuka was about to ask how when she caught herself. That didn’t matter, what mattered was that Rei was in the room with her now. Conflicting emotions ravaged her mind, and she stood up to look at the other girl, who had stopped pacing. She should ignore Rei. She should thank Rei. She should yell at Rei. She should hold Rei. She should hit Rei. Now she was standing against Rei, her arms on Rei’s shoulders. 

 

In the end, she let in a moment of weakness. She gave a poison kiss to Rei, pressing hard on the other girls lips before pulling away. Then, she shuffled Rei towards the door. Her first act was still registering on Rei’s face when she turned around. 

 

“Goodbye Rei.” She said for the last time


	29. Change

The presence of Kyu brought about a lot of changes on the Wunder. There was an extra shift of guards that patrolled the hallway where the pilots had their quarters. There were more people who seemed more than happy to work to inconvenience the two EVA pilots. There was finally someone Sakura could talk to who was not a grizzled war veteran who remembered Near Third Impact. 

 

Mostly though, it changed Asuka. While she had been influencing Kyu, Kyu had influenced her back. Like clockwork, Kyu would rise at the same time, early in the morning. The disturbance would inevitably make Asuka open her eyes, and she would be up soon afterwards.

 

Kyu’s presence calmed the wild anger that had bubbled up in her for the past fourteen years. Even if she felt that she had more things to be angry about. Asuka relaxed around her, being able to throw an arm around Kyu’s shoulder and nod off after she was done working.

 

Most importantly, it had changed her feelings. While she still felt angry and cynical, there were undertones of feelings she long thought lost


	30. Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This could be a continuation of an earlier chapter’s prompt

Rei knew why she was currently riding a horse with Asuka through the most magical, and therefore dangerous, forests in the realm. It was quite simple actually. She knew that she could not convince Asuka to not go; and she knew that it was far more dangerous to go alone. So, the only other option was to go with her, or order her to be put under constant guard. 

 

She did not, however, know why Asuka seemed to encourage something terrible to happen to herself. Asuka clicked her tongue and brought their horse to a stop in the middle of a dark clearing. Rei looked around; moss grew on the tree trunks and hung from the branches. It seemed to suck up the light, not only in the usual way that a plant will photosynthesize, but in the magical way as well. 

 

Asuka dismounted, and then held out a hand for Rei. She took it and swung off the horse with a grunt. 

 

“See, is this so dangerous. It’s just some trees that frighten kids.” Asuka gestured around them. Rei’s eyes darted around her, looking. 

 

“I still don’t like it.” Rei told her, grabbing the horse’s reins to keep it steady. Like her, the horse was skittish. Asuka rolled her eyes, walking towards the edge of the clearing. She waved her hand dismissively over her shoulder. Rei sighed, staying with the horse until something caught her eye. 

 

A few lights flickered at the edge of the clearing. Slowly Rei walked the opposite direction of Asuka, leading the horse with her. As she came closer she could feel the tingle of magic at the base of her skull. Hours of magical bestiary studies came back to her. These were Will o'the Wisps. A small smile crossed her face as she watched them dance around her. Perhaps the forest wasn't so bad afterall. 

 

“Asuka, come here!” She called. Asuka would like to see these no doubt. There was silence, aside from the sudden rustling of leaves in the wind. She suddenly broke out in cold sweat, and the Will o’the Wisps disappeared. There was danger, death, in the air. “Asuka where are you‽” Rei called again, turning around. 

 

As it turned out, it was not the wind that was rustling, but the moss. As Rei turned around, she saw Asuka was being lifted into the air by the black moss, silently kicking and wiggling as best she could. Rei let go of the reins of the horse and ran across the clearing in a few seconds, getting under Asuka. 

 

“Let her go.” She commanded, looking into the forest behind the clearing. The moss stopped moving around Asuka, and she stared ar Rei with wide eyes. Rei looked up at her, a worried expression on her face. Then, slowly, the moss began to move again. Rei drew her dagger and reached up towards Asuka, trying to slide the blade between the moss and Asuka’s body. She had the dagger pressed against Asuka’s arm when she realized it wouldn’t work. 

 

The moss carried Asuka higher and higher towards the canopy, hampered by Asuka putting up a desperate struggle, and Rei looked around for something to use. The horse suddenly reared up, bolting from them into the treeline. The flight had, however revealed a solution. 

 

“Hang in there.” She told Asuka, looking up. There was an eyeroll in response, one which very clearly showed that Asuka did not appreciate the wit, intentional or not. Then she ran towards a patch of low bushes the horse had trampled over.

 

Rei grit her teeth, then broke off a few stems of the stinging nettle. Her hands burned in pain, but she ignored it. Running back to Asuka she pressed the stems against the moss. Instantly the moss recoiled, individual strands waving wildly while others fell dead. It did, however, let go of Asuka. Asuka landed hard, Rei doing her best to keep her from falling. For a brief moment, quiet settled on the forest. Asuka gasped for breath, clinging to Rei, while Rei scanned the forest for more danger. Then there was another rustle of moss.

 

“Run!” Asuka yelled. 

**Author's Note:**

> Dumping place for the various prompts that I'm working on. Mostly fluff. Happy or neutral endings at the least. Occasional angst, occasional lemons. Will be delving into Rebuilds and Campus Apocalypse continuity in the future.


End file.
